Jobs freeze is an attack on lives, says Denosa

Critics slam KZN Department of Health plan aimed at containing runaway overspending

A CASH-STRAPPED KZN Department of Health (DOH) has devised a turnaround plan, which includes an immediate moratorium on jobs, halting infrastructure maintenance projects and the procurement, servicing and repair of medical equipment, to keep their heads above water.

But employees, labour unions and some political parties have rejected the plan and said such cost-cutting measures were an “attack on human lives”.

It has been widely reported that long waits for service, overworked medical staff and crumbling infrastructure are commonplace at various public healthcare facilities around the province.

Earlier this week a provincial health portfolio committee, based on information they received, went on a fact-finding mission to the Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.

Their trip became necessary following allegations of major infrastructure challenges, including leaking roofs and patients sleeping on floors.

The department’s detractors are concerned about the country bleeding jobs at a rapid rate due to the tough economic climate, and that more people are relying on already overburdened public health facilities for their medical needs.

A senior official in the KZN DOH penned the cost containment plan, which was circulated last month.

It stated that in November the department reviewed its standing for the current financial year, which ends on March 31, and realised that, based on their spending trajectory, their overspending would exceed R2.1 billion.

Even after receiving an allocation of R2.2bn and doing a re-analysis in December, the department estimated their overspending would reach R1.1bn.

Compensation of employees, laboratory services, medicines, medical supplies, property payments and machinery and equipment were listed as among their main cash pressure points.

The plan detailed when the various categories of maintenance infrastructure projects could possibly be reactivated, including the procurement, servicing and repair of medical equipment.

But no time frame for the lifting of the jobs moratorium was set.

Sibonelo Cele, the provincial chairperson of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa), said they were disappointed by the plan and feared its consequences.

“This is an attack on human lives because people will die due to the lack of nurses,” said Cele.

He questioned whether the department had a proper human resources (HR) plan, and if they had one, why weren’t they adhering to it.

Cele said their HR suggestions were ignored in the past.

“Now that they are in a crisis, they want us to accept this. We won’t,” he said.

Dr Angelique Coetzee, spokesperson for the South African Medical Association, also confirmed they rejected the jobs moratorium.

“It is wrong not to replace, not in healthcare. “One only has to look at the patient load at hospitals or clinics to know that it is wrong,” she said.

Claude Naiker, the Public Servants Association’s national manager, appealed to the KZN DOH to lift the moratorium to “prevent the collapse of our health system”.

Naiker found it unacceptable that instead of putting measures in place to halt the department’s continuing trend of irregular expenditure, it had frozen vacancies.

He was referring to the latest Auditor-general’s report which showed irregular expenditure of nearly R1.7bn.

Dr Rishigen Viranna, a DA member of the provincial legislature and their health spokesperson, blamed the department’s budgetary woes on “corruption and mismanagement”.

Viranna referred to the Auditor-general’s report, highlighting that one of the reasons for the department receiving a qualified audit was due to a lack of management and leadership.

“The plan includes the non-filling of all posts. This, despite the Auditor-general reporting that the rise in medico-legal cases against the department was due to a lack of staff,” said Viranna.

Thokozile Gumede, the IFP’S health portfolio committee member and chairperson of the party’s Women’s Brigade in KZN, believed the plan was “a disaster in the making”.

Gumede was among the delegation that visited Northdale Hospital, where she noted “staff and infrastructure were a huge challenge”.

Gumede said Nomagugu Simelane, KZN’S health MEC, was an educated legal woman, but had no medical background, which hampered her decision-making.

“Being advised is good, but you need to have your own, ideas, instincts, expertise and knowledge,” said Gumede.

Ntokozo Maphisa, spokesperson for the KZN DOH, said: “The cost-containment measures that the department has embarked on are part of a responsible and proactive approach through which future fiscal challenges will be averted.

“There is no crisis. In fact, there is a contingency plan in place to minimise the impact of these austerity measures and ensure continuity,” he said.

Maphisa was confident that the plan would enable the department to meet its financial obligations and a number of savings and objectives would be realised in future.

Regarding Simelane’s performance, Maphisa said: “The MEC’S strong leadership, management qualities and innovative approach to governance speak for themselves.

“Her unwavering crusade to improve the level of healthcare service delivery across the province and her tireless efforts aimed at saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic have been there for all to see.

“Therefore, we will not allow shallow political opportunists to erode her sterling performance through unwarranted personal attacks.”