NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 523
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28 October 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 33)
Mr A Watson (DA-Mpumalanga) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) What are the staffing norms for each type of health facility with
regard to the National Health Insurance (NHI);
(2) whether, in accordance with the NHI, any health facilities are to be
downgraded; if so, (a) which health facilities, (b) from which level,
(c) to which level, (d) in which provinces are they situated and (e)
what strategies are in place to ensure staff retention at these
downgraded facilities?
CW626E
REPLY:
1) The National Department of Health recently published the Human
Resources for Health strategy document. This document indicates the
various categories of health professionals that require training,
recruitment and development in the short, medium and long term. Part
of the strategies contained in this document relate to the
determination of the appropriate and acceptable staffing norms for
facilities and how these aspects can be incorporated into
accreditation of providers and facilities under the NHI. The norms
will vary depending on the nature and scope of services that each
particular type of provider and health facility is expected to render.
2) (a)(b)(c)(d)The gazette for the re-designation of hospitals proposes
that all public hospitals be designated into mutually exclusive
categories, namely: district hospitals, regional hospitals, tertiary
hospitals, central hospitals and specialised hospitals. Each of level
of healthcare will provide core packages of healthcare with district
hospitals at the most basic end of the scale and central hospitals at
the opposite end of the scale. All public health facilities, and the
services that they render, are under review. Any decisions on the
status of hospitals will only be made after the audit of facilities is
completed. The principle underlying the designation of services is
that patients should be able to access the care that they need at the
time they need it. This principle will form the basis of the system
design.
END.