Gauteng hospital patients will continue to suffer as the provincial health budget tabled yesterday gave a paltry increase for health, with no provision to pay off R4.3 billion owed to suppliers, and no money to fill staff vacancies.
The total health budget rose from R64.7 billion to R67 billion, a 3.7% increase which is less than inflation.
This is despite 1180 vacant critical posts, as well as 7131 professional nurses that are needed to provide a decent health service.
There is also no extra money to fix crumbling hospitals, none of which comply with fire and safety standards.
Another burning issue is the funding gap caused by the withdrawal of US PEPFAR money.
It seems that Gauteng has chosen to reallocate to other projects its share of the R22 billion for bailouts of accruals in provincial health departments, and R28.9 billion for staff retention, that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his Budget speech.
The DA will be writing to National Treasury to ask why the Minister’s provision for extra health spending was ignored by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi has neglected Gauteng’s health crisis! He needs to ensure adequate funds and a new top leadership to fix rampant corruption and misspending.