2024-w684 - 02 April 2024

Madeleine Bertine Hicklin to ask the Minister of Health

What is the (a) policy for unclaimed bodies and (b) current total number of unclaimed bodies at government mortuaries in each province?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 2 Apr 2024

a) Policy of Unclaimed Bodies

Regulation 341 of 2005: Regulations Regarding the Rendering of Forensic Pathology Service, sections 43 and 44 of the make provision that:

43. A body not identified must be moved to a freezer within seven days of admission, and if such body remains unidentified for 30 days, the municipal council under whose jurisdiction the designated facility is, must ensure that ...

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2024-w688 - 02 April 2024

Michéle Odette Clarke to ask the Minister of Health

Whether, with reference to an apparent dispute regarding the treatment of a patient at Ngwelezana Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal in January 2017 (details furnished), in respect of which Dr Morton J Abrams alleges that the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) failed to properly investigate and/or properly handle the matter and help him resolve the issue of his Account Support Page on the Practitioners Portal acknowledging that there are no records of complaint against him, while a Certificate of Status from July 2019 states otherwise, his department will (a) assist the doctor to get to the bottom of his queries and allegations and (b) address the alleged failures of HPCSA; if not, why not; if so, (i) in what way and (ii) what are the further relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 2 Apr 2024

a) According to the HPCSA, the case of treatment of a patient at Ngwelezana Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal was duly investigated. The case was considered by the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry and finalised in line with applicable regulations. The outcome of the Inquiry was communicated to both the complainant and the respondent. In terms of the query related to the Certificate of Status (COS), the ...

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2024-w663 - 02 April 2024

Sophie Suzan Thembekwayo to ask the Minister of Health

What urgent steps of intervention has he taken at the Tintswalo Hospital in Bushbuckridge, with regard to (a) lack of nutritional food for patients, (b) water shortages, (c) infrastructural challenges and (d) shortage of medical staff?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 2 Apr 2024

a) The official report from Mpumalanga Head of the department (HOD) of Health, Tintswalo hospital has not experienced a lack of nutritional food or food. Food is one of the Department’s non-negotiable priorities to ensure that patients have access to nutritious meals. A specific budget is allocated for food, enabling the hospital to seamlessly provide meals tailored to patients’ dietary needs. Strict food safety ...

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2024-w432 - 22 March 2024

Magdalena Duduzile Hlengwa to ask the Minister of Health

Whether an assessment of all public hospitals has been undertaken to determine if their equipment and consumable needs will be met within the budget of R848 billion allocated to his department over the Medium-term Expenditure Framework by the Minister of Finance, Mr E Godongwana; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 22 Mar 2024

On 21st February 2024, the Minister of Finance announced 2024 MTEF allocation of R848 billion for the health sector which is inclusive of the following obligations:

  • Payment of current employees and the impact of the wage bill agreement
  • Provision of the health services in all facilities
  • Medical equipment and consumables
  • Maintenance and construction of new facilities

The consolidated assessment of equipment and consumables was ...

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2024-w624 - 20 March 2024

Magdalena Duduzile Hlengwa to ask the Minister of Health

In light of the concerning revelations surrounding corporate funding of health research in academic institutions, what collaborative mechanisms does his department have in place with the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation to ensure that there is transparency and integrity in health research funding in the Republic’s institutions of higher learning?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 20 Mar 2024

The National Department of Health (NDoH) collaborates with the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation through the National Health Research Committee (NHRC). NHRC is an NDoH Ministerial Advisory statutory body established in terms of National Health Act of 2003. It responsible for determining the nature, scope, as well as the co-ordination of health research. NHRC is made up of researchers and representative of ...

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2024-w597 - 20 March 2024

Jan Naudé De Villiers to ask the Minister of Health

With reference to his reply to question 86 on 22 February 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by his department for (i) him and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 20 Mar 2024

Since 1 June 2019 the department only bought one vehicle for the current Minister: Dr. MJ Phaahla, MP, when he was the Deputy Minister as per the table below:

Members of Executive Authority

(a) Make

(b) Model

(c) Year of Manufacture

(d) Cost

(e) Purchase date

i) Minister: Dr MJ Phaahla, MP

No Procurement was made

No Procurement was made

No Procurement was made ...

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2024-w623 - 20 March 2024

Magdalena Duduzile Hlengwa to ask the Minister of Health

What specific steps has his department taken to regulate the (a) sales and (b) marketing of unhealthy foods and/or products that make a significant contribution to death, especially in the context of inadequate regulation in the countries of the global south?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 20 Mar 2024

(a) and (b)

The Minister of Health, through the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (FCD), 1972 (Act. 54 of 1972) regulates foodstuffs with the aim of promoting food safety and to prohibit the misleading advertising of foods. The regulations relating to foodstuffs are aligned to the global best practice of the joint World Health Organisation and Food and Agricultural Organisations’ Codex Alimentarius.

The Department ...

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2024-w622 - 20 March 2024

Magdalena Duduzile Hlengwa to ask the Minister of Health

What proactive measures has he put in place to safeguard against undue influence of the tobacco industry on research focusing on the impact of tobacco products on health?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 20 Mar 2024

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3 recommends that Parties monitor the activities of the tobacco industry. The Convention Secretariat assisted countries with the establishment of tobacco industry observatories in some interested Parties. One of the Observatories is based in South Africa specifically to monitor tobacco industry interference. These observatories inform policy makers and governments ...

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2024-w540 - 20 March 2024

Sophie Suzan Thembekwayo to ask the Minister of Health

What (a) are the reasons that (i) the staff at the Swellendam Hospital have not been paid their much-needed salaries and (ii) the specified staff have to wait until the next financial year in order to be remunerated and (b) urgent steps of intervention have been taken to resolve the problem?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 20 Mar 2024

(a) (i), (ii) and (b)

The official report form Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is that they do not have any records, nor reports of staff from Swellendam hospital not receiving their remuneration. Also, contractors of Swellendam hospital have also reported that they are not aware of any of such claims emanating from themselves nor their employees. However, it will be appreciated ...

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2024-w493 - 14 March 2024

Rosina Ntshetsana Komane to ask the Minister of Health

(1)Whether the Hospital and Emergency Centre Tracking Information System (HECTIS) that has been introduced by his department, is now available in all hospitals; if not, (2) whether HECTIS is still piloted at certain hospitals; if not, why not; if so, (a) which hospitals have used the HECTIS system and (b) what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Health on 14 Mar 2024

1. No, the Hospital and Emergency Centre Tracking Information System (HECTIS) is not available in all hospitals. The system has only been implemented by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health. It has not been implemented in any other province as it is not part of the national Emergency Medical Services Plan.

2. (a) HECTIS is not in a pilot phase. It has been ...

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