GAUTENG. – Die DA het die Gautengse departement van gesondheid gekritiseer omdat dit na verwagting R725 miljoen in die 2025/26-boekjaar onbestee sal laat, ondanks die toestand van hospitale, personeeltekorte en onbetaalde diensverskaffers. Die Steve Biko Akademiese Hospitaal (SBAH) het egter onlangs ‘n tweede MRI-skandeerder, in wat as ‘n belangrike mylpaal bestempel is, in gebruik geneem.
Volgens die DA, wat hom beroep op ’n amptelike skriftelike antwoord van die Gautengse departement van finansies en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, het die nasionale tesourie slegs ’n voorwaardelike oordrag van R261 miljoen goedgekeur, terwyl R463,5 miljoen aan hulle terugbetaal sal word.
Dr. Jack Bloom, DA-LPW en woordvoerder oor gesondheid, sê die onderbesteding word toegeskryf aan vertragings met projekte, fakture en die lewering van toerusting. “Dit is skandelik dat swak finansiële bestuur voortduur terwyl gesondheidsdienste onder druk is,” het Bloom gesê.
Die DA wys ook op bevindings van die ouditeur-generaal wat toon dat Gauteng die enigste provinsiale gesondheidsdepartement was wat in al nege geouditeerde gebiede misluk het. Die party sê hy sal voortgaan om druk op die premier, Panyaza Lesufi, te plaas om aanspreeklikheid te verseker.
SBAH sê hierdie belangrike mylpaal van die verkryging van ie tweede MRI-skandeerder is ‘n verbintenis tot hoëgehalte pasiëntesorg. Met twee MRI-masjiene, twee PET-skandeerders en ’n wêreldklas angio-eenheid bied die radiologie-departement, onder leiding van professor Zarina Lockhat, gevorderde diagnostiese en behandelingsdienste. Die prestasie beklemtoon nie net tegnologiese vooruitgang nie, maar ook die toewyding van radioloë, verpleegkundiges en ondersteuningspersoneel. Die hospitaal sê hierdie ontwikkeling dra by tot verbeterde sorg vir pasiënte en bevestig sy strewe na uitnemendheid in gesondheidsorg.
Lees die DA se verklaring hier onder:
The Democratic Alliance condemns the Gauteng Health Department (GHD) for yet again failing to spend the entire budget despite crumbling hospitals, staff vacancies, unpaid suppliers, and insufficient equipment.
They are projected to underspend R725 million in the 2025/26 financial year which ends on 31 March 2026. This is according to the Gauteng Finance and Economic Development Department in an official written reply to DA questions.
National Treasury has only approved a conditional rollover of R261 million of the unspent funds, so R463.5 million will be returned to Treasury.
The under-expenditure is blamed on “delays in the completion of projects and submission of invoices by contractors and the delivery of machinery and equipment.”
In December last year, it was reported that National Treasury would write to the Gauteng Health MEC and three other Health MECs to provide reasons against being put under administration. This is because these provinces face a high risk of running out of medication due to a chronic failure to pay service providers in 30 days, salary overspending, persistently high doctor and nurse vacancy rates, and budget overruns with neglected infrastructure maintenance.
It is shameful that the GHD is plagued by poor financial management and has not had a permanent Chief Financial Officer for more than three years.
The Auditor-General found Gauteng to be the only provincial health department that failed all nine assessed areas, from procurement, management of revenue and expenditure, strategic planning, consequence management, transfer of funds and use of conditional grants. These failures hurt medical staff working under adverse conditions.
There is further disarray with the suspension of the Head of Department after failing a lifestyle audit, and corruption is rampant, as shown by more than R2 billion looted from the Tembisa hospital.
The DA will renew our pressure for Premier Panyaza Lesufi to fire Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and ensure there is competent and honest leadership at all levels, otherwise patients will continue to suffer from poor service.
Proper spending of this department’s R67 billion budget would improve services immensely.
