Chairperson, hon Minister of Health, Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, hon members of the portfolio committee, hon members, our guests and officials, warm greetings. We are meeting at a time when we are struggling with the reality of the loss of our dear and beloved Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Molefi Sefularo. However, we draw comfort from the fact that his spirit will always serve as an inspiration for us to do more. His never-ending courage and legacy will urge all of us to pick up from where he ended. God will strengthen us and continue to offer the family guidance and comfort. May the gracious Lord bless and sustain the family of the late Deputy Minister of Health.
I take pride in participating in this important session that touches on the precious lives of our people, the Health Budget Vote for 2010. The discussion takes place at a most crucial time, when the world faces serious health challenges such as HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and H1N1, to mention a few.
Critical to this is what the ANC-led government has done to improve the quality of life of South Africans. Answers to these questions hinge on the clarion call in the Freedom Charter that "there shall be access to health for all". The ANC government is committed to the promotion of a preventive health scheme under the state and free medical care and hospitalisation with care for mothers and young children.
Re le mmuso o o eteletsweng pele ke ANC, re semeletse ka metseletsele le mananeo a a ikaeletseng go tlhabolola le go tokafatsa seemo sa pholo mo nageng. Re ka atlega tota fa re dirisana le set?haba gonne re dumela gore mabogo dinku a thebana. Ke ka jalo re nang le moono o o reng ... (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[As the ANC-led government, we are engaged in a lot of programmes that are aimed at developing and improving the state of health in the country. We can certainly succeed if we work together with the public because we believe in success through unity. That is why we have a motto that says ...]
... working together, we can do more. [Applause.] It is our intention to accelerate the fight against HIV and Aids and other diseases in order to achieve this objective. We will accelerate efforts to mobilise available resources in both the private and public health sectors to ensure that there are improved health outcomes to benefit the South African population across all races.
You will agree with me that for all these to yield fruit, our Budget needs to be expansionary. During the 2008-09 financial year, expenditure in the public sector was a total of R83,8 billion. It is now estimated that for 2010-11 approximately R99,7 billion expenditure in the public sector would be required. The private sector expenditure was R111,9 billion in 2008-09, while it is estimated to be R121,5 billion in 2010-11.
These figures indicate huge spending in the private sector, compared to the public sector. Funding in the public sector equals about 4% of GDP and 14% of the main Budget. What impression do we get from these figures? Among others, it is that the ANC-led government is passionate about improving the provision of health services.
Although much has been achieved, there remains a need to strengthen the resources of the public health system in a number of areas, such as personnel, communicable diseases, high infant mortality and life expectancy. We specifically intend to improve the number of staff and the infrastructure and to develop necessary skills for staff to accelerate delivery of effective and efficient health services.
No one can deny the historic and central importance of the National Health Insurance. Its basic aim is to ensure that every South African, rich or poor, black or white, is covered in this scheme. No upfront payments should bar South Africans from receiving medical services. [Applause.]
We are saying we want the National Health Insurance to yield a more fruitful outcome. We are calling on all the workers and the poor of our country to wage a war for the transformation of the health sector. This will be achieved when we encourage communities to participate in the running of hospital boards that are inclusive and representative of communities and stakeholders.
I reiterate: working together we can do more. It is high time that people start owning decisions that directly affect their lives. This communicates the exact fruits of freedom. People must develop pride in health institutions and we are prepared to passionately protect the gains of our struggles. Participatory leadership and engagement will help us advance collective governance in the health sector.
Mangwe a maikaelelo a rona ke go rotloetsa badiri le baagi go tsenela botokololo jwa diboto tsa dikokelo, go thusa go lwantsha bosenyi le bobodu jo bo iphitlhileng ka go tlhatlhosa ditlhwatlhwa mo thekong ya didiriswa mo ditheong tsa pholo. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[One of our aims is to encourage workers and the public to become board members of the hospitals, in order to help fight crime and the hidden corruption of increasing selling prices of resources in the health institutions.]
The 10-point plan, proposed by the Minister of Health, for the medium-term strategic framework for 2009-14 is the best tool that informs community partnership and campaigns to accelerate health services for all. Take, for instance, the point of mass mobilisation for better health for the masses. It is high time that the community gets informed about the health issues affecting their lives. It is in the context of this mass mobilisation that the entire society will be taken on board with relevant knowledge on how to act in a manner that will help them avoid possible infection. This is a bold initiative and we are willing to participate in getting the community directly involved in this undertaking. This will help in populating important information concerning healthy lifestyles.
It is the intention of the ANC-led government to revitalise the infrastructure of the entire health system. This, among other points, is an acknowledgement that a lot still needs to be done. Indeed, we believe that absolutely no force has the capacity to derail our progress. We are determined to achieve the best for our people.
Mo Tekanyetsongkabo e, re tlile go netefatsa gore go nna le tlhabololo ya maokelo. Re tobile tlhabololo ya mafaratlhatlha a tsa pholo kwa dinaga magaeng le metse setoropong, re lebile bogolo ditleleniki le maokelo. Re ikaelela go katisa le go ngoka baoki mme re bule dikholet?he tsa ikatiso ya baoki. Kabo ya ditirelo tsa pholo e tlile go tsenyeletsa kwelotlase ya tshwaetso ya mogare wa HIV le Aids ka 50% le go fitlhelela tirelo ya pholo, botsamaisi le boeteledipele tse di tlhabolotsweng. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[In this Budget, we are going to make sure that there are improvements to hospitals. We are specifically looking at improving health infrastructure facilities in rural areas and townships, especially clinics and hospitals. Our aim is to attract and train nurses and also open nursing colleges. The provision of a health service is going to include the reduction of HIV/Aids infection by 50%, the successful enhancing of a good health service, improved management and leadership qualities.]
We have successfully rolled out the programme on the provision of ARVs at health facilities, though not at all of them. However, we still feel that we need to strengthen the capacity to monitor the side effects of ARVs. Linked to this is the need to create awareness, particularly in the rural areas. Again, we have scaled up HIV prevention and addressing the challenges of TB. In addition to these successes, we have reduced the child HIV infection rate through beefing up the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV up to 95%.
Let me draw your attention to the strategic approach made in the White Paper of 1997 and the National Health Act of 2003. This approach has given meaning to bringing services closer to the people through the district health system, which served as a vehicle for delivery of health services through primary health care facilities like community health centres, fixed clinics, mobile clinics, health posts, satellite clinics and municipal clinics with limited packages.
It is very important to note that the district hospitals support the primary health care facilities through visits by doctors and the supply of drugs, as well as medical supplies. As part of overhauling our health system and improving its management, we are committed to ensure that the primary health care services are delivered for eight hours, five days per week in small communities and all municipal clinics; 12 hours five days per week; 12 hours seven days a week; 24 hours seven days per week; and one day per month for mobile clinics and health posts.
We will have sleepless nights to ensure that the goals and targets we set for ourselves are realised. Our people deserve the best, effective and efficient health services and you can be assured that we are fully committed to provide them.
Hon members will appreciate the fact that in 2008-09 alone, primary health care facilities marked a 10% improvement. It is clear that follow-ups are pivotal in ensuring that there is adherence to directives for service delivery, especially in facilities designated to improve the health of our people. We are proud to have been in the forefront regarding the visits in question, and we will continue doing so as the ANC-led government, in partnership with the relevant stakeholders. Together, each achieves more. This will also inspire us to pull together for the common good of our society. Over and above that, we intend specifically to do the following to improve the quality of services to our people and also as a way of building on the achievement: do an audit on infrastructure, conduct an audit on primary health care facilities and package health care services, and ensure that human resources deliver the package of primary health care.
In conclusion, these are just a few of the plans we would like to put in place for the betterment of our services to the people of South Africa. We have invested in the passion that the ANC has for a healthy society - the Budget will be increased to achieve the goals of quality health services to our people. Our eyes are fixed on the best of the best for our people. I'm confident that as the ANC-led government we will achieve, irrespective of the size of the storm. Challenges define our determination to deliver and yes, we will finally make it.
The Divine Fellowship Ministry will be heading a public testing campaign in North West, at Schweizer-Reneke in Mamusa. I shall be the first one there with them to test. [Applause.] I therefore challenge all Members of Parliament in North West to join me in their different constituencies. The ANC supports the Budget Vote.
Ke a leboga. [Legofi.] [Thank you. [Applause.]]