The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) is demanding that all MECs in nine provinces around the country be dismissed with immediate effect.
Gauteng worst of the nine provinces
The union claims it is shocked and angry that all provinces had underspent their budgets by R3-billion for the 2022/2023 financial year.
According to the reports, Gauteng was the worst among them. The province has allegedly failed to spend R2.7-billion in healthcare services.
Gauteng is followed by the Western Cape. The union claims that the province has failed to spend funds to the tune of R180-million. This is followed by the Northern Cape, which the union said had to take back R141-million to Treasury.
Other provinces fingered in underspending included Limpopo at R103-million, while Free State health had to take back R85-million. The Eastern Cape failed to spend more than R60-million. Mpumalanga failed to spend R25.43-million and North West returned at least R20-million to Treasury.
Union shocked, angry
Haitu secretary general Lerato Mthunzi said: “Haitu is shocked to hear that the Gauteng department of health claims to have underspent its budget. …This due to ‘late receipt of invoices and the reduced number of nursing students enrolled for the academic year. Also delays in submission of non-profit institutions claims’.
“We find their reasons difficult to believe. This is because it is our experience that many suppliers are not paid on time by the department. The failure to pay suppliers results in shortages of essential items needed by healthcare facilities,” said Mthunzi.
Gauteng MEC ‘should be first to go’
She added that the in Gauteng MEC for health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko should be the first to get fired.
“Limpopo claimed its underspending was due to, delayed deliveries of medical equipment. This while Mpumalanga tried to justify its failure by claiming delays in procurement equipment. It also … blamed revised public procurement regulations. The North West claimed its underspending was due to delays in submission of invoices by service providers. It also blamed the late delivery of medical equipment,” she said.
Excuses pathetic
Mthunzi said that the excuses brought by the departments were just pathetic.
“The excuses are a reflection of an uncaring health ministry that has no regard for the suffering of patients and workers. Our members have to bear the brunt of the anger of the community every single day. This because the provincial departments of health are grossly incompetent.
“There are thousands of unemployed doctors and nurses. They are desperately needed to beef up the quality of service in the public healthcare sector,” she said.
Health facilities worst affected by underspending
“Our hospitals are collapsing because of the massive budget cuts which have affected spending on infrastructure. There are ICU wards with leaky ceilings. Elevators are inoperable in many hospitals.
“This makes transportation of patients from different wards very difficult. There is a lack of decent security in our facilities because we are told there is no money. [Only] to find out that these departments have failed to spend the money which was allocated to them.”
She said that various MECs must account for underspending. There should be a mass dismissal as this was a problematic situation faced by the healthcare sector, she said.
