Health
(1) Whether a request for an additional R150 million to address challenges at Khayelitsha District Hospital has been submitted to the provincial government; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details, (b) when did she become aware of the challenges and (c) what are the details of the steps taken to raise the funds;
(2) whether her Department and the provincial government will make the additional R150 million, requested by the Khayelitsha District Hospital, available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) (a) what are the causes of the poor healthcare services at Khayelitsha District Hospital and (b) what plans are in place to address them?
- [a] [b] [c] There has been no submission received for an additional R150m to address challenges at Khayelitsha District Hospital [KDH].
- The public health system remains under severe pressure across the board with increased mental health and COVID pressures added to the traditional quadruple burden of disease. Despite this, the quality of health care provided continues to be generally good. The social determinants facing Khayelitsha, in particular violence and safety, drug abuse, unemployment, limited economic opportunity, and other factors and further contributes to the pressure on the health system.
- The hospital is delivering good services despite the service pressures experiences through mental health and the COVID pandemic. The management team and staff members are committed to services excellence amid the challenges experienced. A whole of society response is needed to address the social determinants of health which are mostly upstream factors and its effects presenting at our health facilities.
As a health department we have done in depth analysis and evaluation of the challenges and efficiencies to be gained at KDH. The end result will be to look at the current expenditure in the area of agency staff expenditure and overtime payment and recommend improvements in those areas linked to employment of permanent staff to ease clinical pressure points at KDH. Currently the health system is experiencing mental health pressures at all levels and the department is putting plans in place to relieve pressures at district hospital level by strengthening specialised referral systems and community and PHC mental health services. This would include collaboration with other partners delivering mental health services including social development. All of these processes were communicated to the members of the committee when they visited the hospital. These improvement plans are ongoing.
