Gauteng residents dependent on state healthcare continue to suffer as clinics are not constructed on time

Long waiting times and long queues at Gauteng health facilities will continue to be the order of the day. The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and Property Management, which is responsible for the building and maintenance of health facilities, is failing dismally in delivering on its core mandate and is unable to complete many clinics.

This also means that our residents who are in dire need of medical attention will not get treatment on time which could prove to be fatal.

For the second quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year, GDID was meant to complete five healthcare facilities but none of these has been completed. This information was revealed in the second quarterly report for GDID.

According to the report the following facilities were meant to be completed:

· Sebokeng Clinic
· Kekanastad Clinic
· Finetown Clinic
· Mandisa Shiceka CDC
· Boikhutsong Clinic CDC

Construction work has stopped at most of these facilities because of issues with poorly performing contractors as well as a lack of coordination with local government in dealing with regulatory requirements.

The construction at Finetown Clinic is overdue as a result of the stalling of the town planning application and the lack of power of attorney. In the case of Mandisa Shiceka CDC, the project was not completed because the contractor is waiting for the wayleave approval from the municipality to connect bulk services. The Boikhutsong CDC was not completed on time due to town planning issues.

GDID is constantly failing to deliver infrastructure projects on time and within budget. Despite this, the political principals sit with arms folded instead of intervening and resolving the obstructions that exist.

Despite several requests for the department to do probity checks on contractors to ensure that they have both the technical skill and the financial muscle to perform, the department continues to appoint incompetent contractors. There are ongoing problems with contractors not performing, having cash flow problems, or not paying their workers on time.

The former MEC for this department, Tasneem Motara, was recently replaced and not a moment too soon. The newly appointed MEC Lebogang Maile has a poor track record of overseeing the Human Settlements Department, so there is some concern that he has the expertise necessary to make a discernible difference in the trajectory of this dysfunctional department.

The DA proposes that a skills audit be conducted within this department to ensure that all the officials in key positions are suitably qualified and that there is scrutiny of companies who are awarded the tenders to build clinics, schools, and libraries.

27 Initiation Injuries in Gauteng in Two Years

Gauteng Health Facilities

27 young men were treated in Gauteng health facilities in 2013 and 2014 for injuries or illness caused by initiation schools.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

One death was reported over this period, and others were treated for assault, anaemia, dehydration, septic penis and poisoning.

Eleven cases were treated in 2013, and 16 in 2014.

CONTRALESA

According to Mahlangu, the Department is working closely with CONTRALESA through the Gauteng AIDS Council to ensure that good medical practice is maintained at initiation schools.

This includes encouraging initiation principals to partner with contracted NGOs to perform Medical Male Circumcision.

Furthermore, Environmental Health Practitioners are providing accredited pre-site inspection reports prior to opening of initiation schools.

Traditional leaders are also requested to provide a list of recognised traditional surgeons and headmen to avoid bogus schools, and are provided with contact numbers of Emergency Medical services linked to a nearby health facility.

Cultural Virtues of Initiation

The department is doing good work in this area, but illegal schools are the real problem, such as the one that was raided by police in Meadowlands, Soweto.

While injuries from initiation schools in Gauteng are thankfully much lower than in the Eastern Cape, the battle against illegal schools needs to be stepped up.

The cultural virtues of initiation are best preserved with safe medical procedures and safeguards against abuse.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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