EFF Gauteng statement on the Gauteng Health Department irregular expenditures
17 September 2024
The EFF Gauteng strongly condemns the persistent irregular expenditures within the Gauteng Health Department. According to records, the government has reported over R25 billion in irregular spending over the past three years, while underspending by R6.4 billion during the same period. Breaking down these figures, in the 2021/22 financial year, the department spent a staggering R22 billion, primarily on security tenders, without adhering to proper procurement processes. The following year, R2.3 billion was recorded, and in 2023/24, R2.7 billion was reported. Meanwhile, planned renovations costing R154 million at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and R29 million at Helen Joseph Hospital remain incomplete past the deadlines.
Despite the severe state of public health, which struggles to serve the large population of the province, the Gauteng Health Department wastes a significant portion of its budget on corruption and incompetence. The Thembisa Hospital scandal, in which over R1 billion was misappropriated within a year, is a classic example.
The irregular spending and corruption are contributing to the deplorable state of public health in the province. Gauteng has the lowest number of beds per 1,000 people in the country, with just 1.2 beds per 1,000 population. As of March this year, over 38,000 people are on the waiting list for surgical procedures. Operations are frequently cancelled due to a shortage of beds, limited theatre time, and infrastructure issues such as water and electricity shortages.
The backlog in radiation oncology and Surgery stands at around 3,000 cases, while cancer patients continue to suffer and die. The Gauteng Department of Health had to return over R780 million allocated for cancer treatment to the Treasury. Additionally, the department spends about 20% of its budget on private lawyers and state legal services for medical negligence cases. Last year alone, R623 million was paid for medical negligence and malpractice cases in the province.
Without urgently addressing the corruption and mismanagement plaguing our hospitals, the commitment to improve public health in Gauteng remains an unattainable fairy-tale. Unlike those who are rich, including politicians and their family members who can afford private medical care, many of our people depend entirely on the struggling public institutions that Often lack empathy in patient treatment.
We urge the Gauteng govemment to take decisive action against those who circumvent legislation to favor their preferred contractors for public health projects.
The EFF through its public representatives will be submitting motions in the legislature to ensure the executive is held accountable with regards to this matter. Corruption and maladministration have long deprived our people of basic services and compromised their right to receive adequate medical care and this must come to an end.
Issued by Commissar Nkululeko Dunga, Provincial Chairperson, EFF Gauteng, 17 September 2024
