- The North West Health Department may not have improved its audit outcomes for 2019-20, but there's been an improvement in healthcare services quality.
- According to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, the high vacancy rate, especially at management level, was reduced.
- Nine healthcare facilities have also extended their operating hours from 12 to 24 hours.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says improved audit outcomes in the embattled North West province does not necessarily measure service delivery improvements.
Mboweni said, while the provincial health department has not improved in terms of audit outcomes in the 2019-20 financial year, there is an improvement in the quality of healthcare services.
In contrast to that, Mboweni said, the provincial Department of Social Development's improved audit outcomes contributed to better services to citizens of the North West.
Mboweni was responding to a written parliamentary question from DA MP Isaac Sileku, who wanted details on whether the improvements of audit outcomes in North West contributed to better services for the province’s citizens.
"The Auditor General’s (AG) reports indicates some improvement in audit outcomes of 2019-20 in North West province. However, the improvements are notable in the provincial departments whereas provincial public entities status remains the same," Mboweni said.
Among the three departments with improved audit outcomes, Social Development is the only one delivering services directly to the people.
Improvements include:
- Older people accessing community based care and support services increased from 6 813 in 2018-19 to 7 556 in 2019-20.
- The number of older people accessing statutory services also increased from 1 573 in 2018-19 to 4 286 in 2019-20.
- People accessing social rehabilitation services increased from 4 771 in 2018-19 to 6 604 in 2019-20.
- Children accessing registered early childhood development programmes also increased from 36 948 in 2018-19 to 52 224 (59 961 as audited by AG) in 2019-20.
- The number of people accessing food through feeding programmes (centre based) increased by 21 593 between 2018-19 (15 479) and 2019-20 (50 319).
Mboweni said the provincial health department maintained a qualified audit opinion. Still, some improvements in operations have resulted in better health services being provided to citizens.
He said over 3 000 posts were advertised in 2018-19 and 2 331 positions were filled by the end of 2019-20, reducing the high vacancy rate, especially at the management level.
"District Hospital services programme performance improved to 82 % in 2019-20 from 70.4 % in 2018-19. Nine clinics have extended their operating hours from 12 to 24 hours [and] ideal clinic status improved to 58.8% in 2019-20 up from 45.2% in 2018-19," he said.
Mboweni said emergency medical services also improved with the addition of 38 new ambulances.
Figures
According to Mboweni's reply, the figures were sourced from annual reports.
Several departments recorded improved audit outcomes from qualified to unqualified between 2018-19 and 2019-20.
These include: the Social Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Office of the Premier, Education, Legislature and Economic Development, Environment, and Conservation and Tourism.
According to Mboweni, the provincial departments of Health and Community Safety and Public Works and Roads maintained qualified status.
Provincial Treasury maintained clean audit status while Human Settlement got a disclaimer on its first year of auditing, he said.
In April 2018, Cabinet invoked Section 100(1) of the Constitution on the North West Department of Health, placing the department under the national government's administration.
In May 2018, the entire provincial government was placed under administration.
Section 100(1) allows the national executive to intervene in a provincial government if it has been established that the provincial authority cannot fulfil its constitutional obligations.
National government stepped in after major financial, governance, and capacity challenges were recorded at provincial departments.
In February (this year), the administration period was extended by three months.