adminPOLOKWANE. – Mounting medico-legal claims, lack of consequence management, irregular expenditure and shocking vacancy rates is what is “killing” hospitals and healthcare in Limpopo, official statistics and audit reports show.
This in contrast to Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba’s verbal assault of a Zimbabwean patient in a local hospital in which she assailed a woman, claiming an influx of undocumented foreigners are “killing” hospitals.
According to annual reports, analyses by the Office of the Auditor-General, and numbers and statistics in the public domain, however, there were no indications of any significant adverse impact of foreign nationals on the healthcare system in the province, but enough evidence of poor management and weak financial controls contributing to a system in distress. The reports show:
Since Ramathuba took up her position in 2015, medico-legal claims against the department have increased to billions, posing a serious threat to the province.
Staff vacancies for critical posts, like specialists and nursing, have also increased, yet more than half of the department’s budget is spent on compensating employees.
While irregular expenditure is on a downward trend, a lack of consequence management appears rife, opening the door for continued deflection of resources.
The money is there – billions allocated to the department every year – yet consistent underspending per programme and a deviation of money from critical resources means there is little impact in clinics and hospitals.
Had Ramathuba taken a closer look at her own data, she would have observed it is not foreign nationals who are “killing [her] healthcare system”, but her own management.
Enormous medico-legal claims – not foreign nationals – could potentially put the department, and the province, at risk if not checked, and although contingent, could land the province under administration, Risham Maharaj an MPL and DA Limpopo spokesperson for health said.
The data shows an increase of billions from 2016 to 2021 relating to medico-legal claims against the department.
Many of these cases are related to cerebral palsy at birth and, according to Professor Alex van den Heever, chair of social security systems administration and management studies at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance, the ratio of maternal deaths in facility per 100 000 was a good indication of the state of health services.
According to the 2020/21 annual report, R9 billion in cerebral palsy claims made up part of the R12 billion claims against the department.
“That is quite large, and it is liability to watch, and it might be, although unconfirmed, suggestive of negligent practices within the province. It does correlate with maternal mortality ratios as cerebral palsy happens in delivery,” Van den Heever said. – News24.com
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