Whether, considering that the North West Health Department has sought action against its employees who were on duty when newborn babies were put in cardboard boxes instead of incubators and/or cribs at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital with one of the issues being that the acting chief executive officer was not made aware of the improvisation, this is an admission that hospital management is not aware of crucial shortages in their hospital and that the only way to be aware of this is if the nurses inform them directly; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
This matter is still under investigation, the outcome thereof will be shared upon finalisation .
END.
(1)What total number of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since 1 January 2020;
(2) whether there has been any fatal adverse effects; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what were the common adverse effects;
(3) (a) how (i) accessible are the processes of reporting adverse effects and (ii) does his department ensure that the public knows how to report such adverse effects and (b) what total number of the reported cases were investigated?
1. The COVID 19 Vaccination programme started on 17 February 2021. According to the Electronic Vaccination Data System the total number of COVID 19 vaccines administered for the period 17 February 2021 and 5 June 2023 are 38 977 115.
2. Yes, three deaths resulting from Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine have been causality linked to the vaccine. The ...
Whether he will furnish Mrs M O Clarke with his department’s 2030 Human Resources Health Strategy; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1)(a) What is the name of each town in the Kamiesberg Local Municipality that has (i) functional clinics and (ii) no clinics and (b) how regularly do the health professionals visit each town that has no clinics;
(2) what number of (a)(i) ambulances are available in the specified municipality and (ii) towns are serviced by each ambulance and (b) where is each ambulance stationed;
(3) whether each ambulance (a) is roadworthy and (b) has a valid licence; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
1. (a) (i) The following towns has functional clinics; Kamieskroon, Kharkams; Leliefontein ; Hondeklipbaai (Fixed clinics);
(ii) Towns (small settlements) with no clinics: Kheis; Lepelsfontein; Spoegrivier; Tweerivier; Klipfontein ;Soebatsfontein; Nourivier; Rooifontein; Kamassies and Paulshoek.
(b) The Health Professionals in mobile clinics visit these 10 smaller settlements twice a month.
2. (a) (i) Two (2) ambulances are allocated to Kamiesberg Local Municipality.
(ii) These ambulances ...
(1)Considering that a number of provinces in the Republic have been hit by cholera which has led to the death of more than 23 persons in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, with 48 more persons in hospital, by what date did his department first become aware of the crisis around unsafe and undrinkable water in the specified area;
(2) what steps, other than the current measures that have been implemented, has his department taken since it first became aware of the specified issue;
(3) whether, in light of a cholera outbreak in 2023, he has found that this is related to the deterioration of the quality of governance in the past two decades; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
The incident is currently under investigation, the outcome thereof will be shared upon finalisation .
END.
Noting how numerous facilities do not have floor plans and/or adequate fire detection systems in place, (a) what is the current status of healthcare facilities regarding this in each province, (b) what measures will he put in place to resolve the issue and (c) on what date will he ensure intervention with resolve is enacted?
(a) (i) Floor plans are available for all our health care facilities. However, most of them are outdated due to the aging of many facilities. (ii) See below existing health facilities with adequate fire detection systems:
(b)-(c) Aging public health facilities remains a challenge and growing concern for the Department of Health. The short-, medium- and long-term focus is thus more on restoring many ...
With reference to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital that had their cooling systems compromised in December 2022 when copper piping supplying the theatres with water was stolen, what (a) other incidences of this nature have occurred at other healthcare facilities across the Republic and (b) has he done in response to the rising security and crime threat at public facilities?
a) The National Department of Health has been informed by the Gauteng Department of Health about the stolen copper pipes/cables at Charlotte Maxeke, Steve Biko and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospitals. There were other similar incidents that were reported by the Free State Department of Health regarding copper pipes being stolen from the following hospitals:
- Bongani hospital (Welkom)
- Boitumelo hospital (Kroonstad)
- Thebe hospital (Harrismith) ...
With reference to orthopaedic surgery backlogs that continue to haunt the Free State due to the high demand of services, a shortage of specialists and operating theatre time, (a) what plans does he have in place to (i) resolve the shortage of specialists to address the orthopaedic surgery backlog in the Free State and (ii) solve the crisis of operating theatre times that also influences the orthopaedic surgeries backlog and (b) by what date is it envisaged that the interventions would become a reality?
(a) (i) The Free State Provincial Department of Health has informed the Minister that it is engaging in a number of interventions to solve the shortage of specialists to address the orthopaedic surgery backlog. This amongst others includes:
- Creating of more nursing posts and headhunting of more Specialists with relevant experience is underway and it is envisaged that more staff will be recruited in ...
(a) What steps has he taken in response to the report emanating from the three-day visit to the Free State by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in 2022 to investigate the status of healthcare facilities, following an influx of complaints from the patients in the province during which the SAHRC noted critical human resource shortages, including doctors, nurses, specialists, ambulance staff and community healthcare workers, amongst other findings, and (b) by what date does he envisage to have eradicated the specified challenges that have an impact on the quality of healthcare and access to healthcare facilities in the province?
(a) In the quest to respond to the report emanating from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) three-day visit to the Free State in 2022, the FS Provincial Department of Health has informed that to date, a total of 862 critical health professionals posts (i.e. 774 medical doctors, 74 Specialists, 664 Nurses and 4 Paramedics) were filled.
These posts were filled despite general budget ...
(a)What (i) were the reasons that patients at Katlego Hospital in Virginia, Free State, did not receive adequate nutrition at the facility for the months prior to February 2023 and (ii) steps has he taken to intervene in the matter and (b) in what way does he intend to resolve general nutrition concerns in the facilities in the province at large?
a) (i) According to the Free State Department of Health there was no time where patients were left without food. However, there were challenges with the supplier who partially delivered few stock items on large quantity order which was placed on the 26 October 2022.
This supplier also decided to verbally cancel the order and refused to write a cancellation letter when a ...
