We'll shut rotten hospitals, warns minister
25 November 2009, 15:06
By Louise Flanagan and Sapa
Hospitals and clinics that fail to put patient treatment first and don't meet set standards face closure as part of a major crackdown.
Yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Dr Molefi Sefularo launched his department's plan to revamp public and private health facilities - a move seen as a big step towards the introduction of a national health insurance system.
"The areas we have committed ourselves to turn around are: improving patient safety; strengthening infection prevention and control; ensuring the availability of essential medicines and supplies; reducing waiting times; ensuring the cleanliness of facilities; and spreading a positive and caring attitude throughout the system," Sefularo said.
This would be done through a national set of standards to be implemented by an independent health watchdog body yet to be established, he said.
The National Health Act would be amended to create the watchdog body, which would report to Parliament either directly or through the health minister. Its wide-ranging powers would include the ability to shut down unfit facilities.
The national standards it would uphold were being formulated at a summit under way in Boksburg.
The very first standards would cover the expectation that patients are treated with respect and dignity.
"To those using our public services, the attitude of our staff, the environment within which they are treated, and the length of time they have to wait are at the top of the list of their expected performance," Sefularo said.
"Unfortunately, these are often aspects where our performance is sadly lacking."
Through the plan, all health institutions will have to be accredited after an audit. Sefularo said he would rather temporarily close facilities that were not up to scratch.
The head of the trauma unit at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Professor Jacques Goosen, was thrilled at the prospect of national standards.
Goosen said the Trauma Society of South Africa had been lobbying for a standards system for trauma and emergency units since 1992.
Setting national standards would require doctors to have the right qualifications to practise in those units, and if units were graded, the public would know where to go in emergencies.
"We could decrease the number of days in ICU significantly if you took patients to the right place in the first place," he said.
SA Democratic Nurses Union deputy president Mohau Bodibe welcomed the standards, but was sceptical about implementation.
"The core standards, they have to be there... But they are overestimating their capabilities. How do you reduce queues if you don't have enough staff?"
Sefularo said the Treasury had approved R60 million for this financial year to get the standards plan off the ground.
"We have committed ourselves to reach 1 000 facilities - 25 percent of our public service network - before the end of March," he said.
The facilities include about 250 hospitals. Each year the standards will be extended to another 25 percent of facilities.
Hospitals and clinics that fail to put patient treatment first and don't meet set standards face closure as part of a major crackdown.
Yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Dr Molefi Sefularo launched his department's plan to revamp public and private health facilities - a move seen as a big step towards the introduction of a national health insurance system.
"The areas we have committed ourselves to turn around are: improving patient safety; strengthening infection prevention and control; ensuring the availability of essential medicines and supplies; reducing waiting times; ensuring the cleanliness of facilities; and spreading a positive and caring attitude throughout the system," Sefularo said.
This would be done through a national set of standards to be implemented by an independent health watchdog body yet to be established, he said.
The National Health Act would be amended to create the watchdog body, which would report to Parliament either directly or through the health minister. Its wide-ranging powers would include the ability to shut down unfit facilities.
The national standards it would uphold were being formulated at a summit under way in Boksburg.
The very first standards would cover the expectation that patients are treated with respect and dignity.
"To those using our public services, the attitude of our staff, the environment within which they are treated, and the length of time they have to wait are at the top of the list of their expected performance," Sefularo said.
"Unfortunately, these are often aspects where our performance is sadly lacking."
Through the plan, all health institutions will have to be accredited after an audit. Sefularo said he would rather temporarily close facilities that were not up to scratch.
The head of the trauma unit at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Professor Jacques Goosen, was thrilled at the prospect of national standards.
Goosen said the Trauma Society of South Africa had been lobbying for a standards system for trauma and emergency units since 1992.
Setting national standards would require doctors to have the right qualifications to practise in those units, and if units were graded, the public would know where to go in emergencies.
"We could decrease the number of days in ICU significantly if you took patients to the right place in the first place," he said.
SA Democratic Nurses Union deputy president Mohau Bodibe welcomed the standards, but was sceptical about implementation.
"The core standards, they have to be there... But they are overestimating their capabilities. How do you reduce queues if you don't have enough staff?"
Sefularo said the Treasury had approved R60 million for this financial year to get the standards plan off the ground.
"We have committed ourselves to reach 1 000 facilities - 25 percent of our public service network - before the end of March," he said.
The facilities include about 250 hospitals. Each year the standards will be extended to another 25 percent of facilities.
- This article was originally published on page 5 of The Cape Argus on November 25, 2009
Johannesburg
