Gauteng Health cuts threaten patients' lives

5 August 2024

The Gauteng Department of Health has cut the budget for goods and services for this financial year by R780 million. The budget cuts will affect medicine, consumables, and laboratory services.

It is negligent that the services that largely determine the quality of health care and customer satisfaction are reduced. Patients' access to medicine, laboratory services, and consumables at public hospitals will be affected by budgetary constraints, which shows a total lack of commitment to quality health care.

This shortsighted move flies in the face of the principle of efficient utilisation of resources as required by the Auditor General (AG).

This department has had to consistently defend itself against allegations of mismanagement, criminal negligence, and corruption. This budgetary cut lends credence to the view that the department is, in fact, a threat to the well-being of Gauteng residents.

In the event of a genuine budget deficit, a caring Democratic Alliance (DA) government would reallocate the budget from less important line items. But would never put the lives of residents at risk by reducing life-saving medicine or consumables.

What further exacerbates this illogical decision is that politicians of the ruling party tried to justify and whitewash this decision by suggesting that it was all about budget cuts from other levels of government.

In addition, they suggested that in this “new political era,” where no party achieved a majority, we should be more cooperative and less confrontational.

They kept the DA on the opposition benches because they were too afraid that their misdeeds and incompetence would be exposed, so they should be prepared to deal with what comes next.

We will robustly hold them to account by asking the department to explain how they will overcome the negative impact of essential medicines that are not available to patients.

Issued by Alan Fuchs, DA Gauteng Member of Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 5 August 2024