NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 448
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 August 2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 23)
Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether all hospitals have (a) washing machines and (b) tumble
dryers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether these machines are in good working condition; if not, why
not, if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether any (a) washing machines and (b) tumble dryers (i) have been
replaced and/or (ii) are out of date; if not, what is the status in
this regard; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;
(4) what (a) plans and (b) programmes are in place to monitor and
evaluate these machines in hospitals;
(5) whether the processes of monitoring and evaluation are up to date; if
not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW553E
REPLY:
1) Hospital laundry services need to meet specific needs in terms of high
volumes as well as infection control requirements. Not all hospitals
therefore have their own washing machines and tumble dryers. All of
the 386 hospitals however have access to laundry services either on-
site, off site or contracted out.
2) The data on the condition of washing machines and tumble dryers, in
central or contracted laundries (or in hospitals), is not currently
available at the National Department of Health. This information is
being collected from the provinces.
3) Information at this level of detail is not available at the National
Department of Health, it is being collected from the provinces.
4) The core standards for health include standards for Laundry Services.
The assessment of health facilities using the measures of the core
standards are continuously being done internally by the provinces.
5) Processes of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are up to date. Laundry
Services are monitored by Provincial Departments of Health (DoH) as
part of Programme 7: Health Care Support Services, in the Budget
Programme Structure of the health sector. Provinces also manage
contracts with service providers, where services are outsourced.
A national M&E system also exists. Routine data is reported by all
Provinces and Districts through the National District Health
Information System (DHIS), the Electronic TB Register and the Malaria
Information System. A National Health information Repository and Data
(NHIRD) Warehouse has been established.
END.