The healthcare system is sick with corruption and is haemorrhaging money in irregular spending. This is the finding of a study by Professor Laeticia Rispel, head of the Wits School of Public Health, Professor Sharon Fonn and researcher Pieter de Jager.They analysed reports by the auditor-general over nine years, interviewed leaders in healthcare and reviewed media stories.They found that:R24-billion of provincial health department expenditure between 2009 and 2013 was irregular;In 2012 and 2013, 6% of provincial health expenditure was irregular; double the estimated 3% of corrupt healthcare spending in US;A third of Northern Cape healthcare spending - R1-billion - was irregular in 2012-2013;In 2004-2005, seven provinces received unqualified audits, but this declined to only three in 2012-2013.But the researchers said it should not be assumed that all irregular spending was due to corruption, saying it also indicated non-compliance with regulations and did not necessarily involve personal gain.A trade unionist told the researchers: "There is no distinction between management and politicians."If you are a strong manager you get targeted and destroyed. If you want to keep your job you become corrupt yourself."Many health department employees said they felt "disempowered" and unable to act against corrupt health workers."The CEO of a state hospital said: "Attitudes are appalling. People know that they can get away with it."The authors of the report on the Wits study wrote: "Reversing the situation means that leaders need sufficient authority to take action against corruption."The private sector was also corrupt, with suppliers fingered in fraud, they said.Researchers concluded that political will was needed to target corruption, and, without it, national health insurance, and good health- care for all, would not be possible.Health Department spokesman Joe Maila said: "The department was concerned about corruption and encouraged people to report it regardless of who the perpetrator was."..