NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 502
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28 October 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 33)
Mrs B L Abrahams (DA-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether, with reference to his departmentâs booklet titled, National
Health Insurance â Health Care for all South Africans, (details
furnished), all health facilities irrespective of being part of the
National Health Insurance (NHI) will have to meet the same strict
quality standards; if not, (a) why not and (b) what standards will non
NHI health facilities have to comply with; if so, why does the said
booklet not state this;
(2) whether, with reference to a certain statement from the said booklet
(details furnished), funding will overcome the lack of (a) competent
managers, (b) standards, (c) quality control, (d) holding persons to
account, (e) consequences in the public sector that has led to the gap
in the standards of health care that is available to the rich and
poor; if so, how does he justify many countries around the world with
less funding than the public health sector having higher standards and
better health outcomes than South Africa?
CW579E
REPLY:
1) (a) and (b) Within the NHI environment, all healthcare
facilities will be expected to comply with the same quality
standards, irrespective of whether they are public or
private facilities.
2) Funding is not a stand alone solution to (a) competent managers (b)
standards, (c) quality control, (d) holding persons to account, (e)
consequences in the public sector that has led to the gap in the
standards of health care that is available to the rich and poor. It is
for this particular reason that the National Department of Health has
initiated a number of related initiatives such as the re-designation of
public health facilities, including the requisite skills and competency
of managers appointed to manage these facilities, the delegation of key
responsibilities to managers of facilities in terms of performing
certain functions, as well as the establishment of the Office of Health
Standards Compliance which are all intended to contribute to improved
quality of care and health outcomes.
END.