Whether he will furnish Mr J N de Villiers with a comprehensive breakdown of the procurement allocation of (a) his department and (b) every entity reporting to him in terms of the percentages allocated to (i) small-, medium- and micro-enterprises, (ii) cooperatives, (iii) township enterprises and (iv) rural enterprises with a view to evaluating the effectiveness of the set-aside policy of the Government in fostering an inclusive and diverse economic landscape in the (aa) 2021-22 financial year and (bb) since 1 April 2023?
The breakdown of the procurement allocation submitted by health public entities in terms of the percentages allocated to the indicated enterprises (i-iv) is provided in the table below, per the (aa) 2021-22 financial year and (bb) since 1 April 2023:
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Enterprises Categories
b (i-iv)
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(aa) 2021/22
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2022/23
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(bb) Since 1 April 2023
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Percentage of allocation
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Percentage of allocation
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Percentage of allocation ... |
Noting the continuous reports on the shortage of doctors, nurses and general workers in public healthcare facilities, will he (a) outline the total number of personnel shortages in each province and (b) indicate the date when the vacancies will be filled?
The Compensation of Employees (COE) when compared to the allocated budget for 2021/22 financial year has shown a decrease of 0.3% (R458.4 million) in 2022/23 and a further additional 4.0% (R6.1 billion) decrease in 2023/2024 baseline.
This has negatively affected Human Resources Capacity in the Public Health Sector, and has forced Provinces to freeze/cut posts funded through the Equitable Share to avoid overspending in ...
(1)What (a) total number of healthcare workers have emigrated in each year since 2019 and (b) is the name of each person’s health profession;
(2) what (a) total number of medical staff were hired (i) nationally and (ii) in each province due to the COVID-19 pandemic in (aa) 2020, (bb) 2021 and (cc) 2022 and (b) number of the contracts have been terminated?
1. (a)(b)The National Department of Health does not record the data of healthcare workers that emigrate and therefore is unable to provide records of healthcare workers that emigrated in each year since 2019.
2. The table below provide data on medical staff that were hired (i) nationally and (ii) in each province due to the Covid-19 pandemic (aa) (bb) during the financial year 2020/2021 ...
With reference to the Draft Regulations on the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMCs) published in the Government Gazette on or about 15 March 2022, and then the subsequent publishing of the Health Regulations Relating to the surveillance and control of NMC’s on or about 4 May 2022, what are his department’s reasons for (a) listing COVID-19 as a Category 2 NMC, (b) not putting duration on the listing of COVID-19 in general as an NMC in the Health Regulations given the weakness of the current strain and abandonment of all COVID-19 restrictions and (c) not differentiating between COVID-19 variants and instead listing COVID-19 in general as an NMC, as opposed to only listing severe variants?
a) COVID-19 has always been category 1 notifiable medical condition. In the latest Notifiable Medical Condition list published in February 2023, COVID-19 is listed as part of the Respiratory disease caused by a novel respiratory pathogen under category 1.
b) The Notifiable Medical Condition list consists of conditions that are of public health concern and need to be put under surveillance for early detection ...
(1)Whether, with regard to the implementation of remedial action from the Public Protector’s report on allegations of undue delay by his department to address the challenges experienced by Clinical Associates that was released on 30 November 2021 (details furnished), his department has notified the Department of Public Service and Administration about the remedial actions recommended by the Public Protector; if not, why not; if so,
(2) whether his department has made any progress in terms of implementation thereof; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The National Department of Health has held meeting(s) with the Department of Public Service and Administration to table the issues pertaining to the conditions of service for the Clinical Associates as raised in the Public Protector’s report;
2. Progress through different interventions is underway within the legal framework to implement recommendations of the Public Protector’s report. Albeit challenges, as conditions of services are ...
(1)Whether his department has taken steps to rectify the shortcomings that were experienced during the hard lockdown of the pandemic such as the distribution and backlogs of medication to date; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he has found that patients living with HIV and AIDS receive their medication on time; if not, what are the reasons that the challenge of patients who do not receive their medication on time is still a persisting issue; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no backlogs in the distribution of medication. Additionally, there have been no major supply chain challenges related to the essential medicines during the pandemic period.
2. During the pandemic period, patients on chronic therapy, including patients on antiretorvirals, received at least two months’ supply of the medication in an effort to reduce pressure on facilities. Additionally, patients ...
(1)Whether his department has any records showing any rise in sexually transmitted infections from 1 January 2022 to date;
(2) what (a) is the rate of HIV/Aids transmission from mother to child that his department has recorded in the past year to date, (b) has his department identified to be the most contributing factor to the specified rate and (c) measures has his department implemented to ensure that the rate of transmission does not persist?
1. Between 2022 and 2023, new episodes of STIs increased from 358 060 to 385 657 nationally, according to our District Health Information System (DHIS).
2. (a) The transmission rate from mother to child has declined over the years from 0.55% for FY 2019/2020 to 0.44% for FY 22/23 . In the past year to date transmission is 0.44% (DHIS).
(b) The most contributing ...
What (a) are the reasons that his department is failing to pay service providers within the 21 day-period, as required for payment of service providers and (b) steps has he taken to remedy the specified situation?
The Department is required to pay invoices within 30 days (not within 21 days) in terms of Treasury regulations 8.2.3 which states “Unless determined otherwise in a contract or other agreement, all payments due to creditors must be settled within 30 days from receipt of an invoice or, in the case of civil claims, the date of settlement or court judgement”
National Department of Health ...
Given that in March 2022 two specified persons (names and details furnished) were implicated in a fraud and corruption scandal relating to the issuing of a personal protective equipment tender valued at R43 million and subsequently suspended, and noting that the specified persons have returned to their posts on an acting basis, (a) by what date does his department envisage to find permanent officials for the specified posts and (b) what was the outcome of the fraud and corruption cases against the two persons?
The two officials referred to in the Parliamentary Question were criminally charged by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) based on the referral from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). They were then suspended based on these criminal charges. We have since been informed by the Director-General of the Northern Cape Province that these officials were reinstated after the criminal charges were withdrawn on the 8th ...
Considering that in November 2022 the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority gave notice of their investigation into Tembisa Hospital on the procurement of hospital consumables and medical devices, what was the outcome of the specified investigation?
According to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), the Regulatory Compliance inspectors conducted investigations of which terms of reference were based on the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act No. 101 of 1965) as amended, read with Medical Devices Regulations relating to Medical Device establishment licensing and the distribution (that include sales) of medical devices including In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD’s).
The ...
