Africa-Press – South-Africa. The estimated cost of all infrastructure needs in 2019 was R70 billion for public hospitals and R12.6 billion for primary healthcare facilities.
This was according to Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla during his opening remarks on the first day of the Presidential Health Summit in Boksburg.
Phaahla spoke about the progress and opportunities from the last ministerial statement in 2019.
The objective of the second summit is to identify sustainable interventions that would prepare the healthcare system for the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI).
Phaahla said the first summit, which was held in October 2018, laid the foundations for the areas the country needed to focus on if the government were to get any closer to its dream of providing good quality health services to the people.
He added:
Phaahla said even with limited resources, many public health facilities could perform better if it were not for inefficiency, poor management, neglect of duty to poor supervision, and even outright corruption.
He added despite severe weakness, the public health system had proven resilient even under the most testing pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While there were days – especially at the peak of waves 1, 2 and 3 – when both the public and private health hospitals ran out of high care and ICU beds, the system did not collapse.”
Phaahla said a 10-year infrastructure plan had been costed in consultation with National Treasury.
“Under Covid-19, funds were directed to put up several temporary structures, and some are being converted for regular long-term use.
“While there is an ongoing rollout of new placement, upgrades, and maintenance projects, more is needed.”
He added the mode of delivery of infrastructure also needed urgent reform to increase speed and quality while reducing wastage and high cost.
Phaahla said:
He added several cases were investigated by the Special Investigating Unit, leading to disciplinary processes.
“Incidents of poor financial management are still occurring, leading to non-delivery of essential goods and services.
“An anti-corruption forum in the health sector was launched in 2019, but its impact still has to be felt.
“The overall audit outcomes of the health sector showed a slight improvement in the 2022/23 financial year.”
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