Mokonyane promises boost for Gauteng health dept

10 December 2012 - 18:08 By Sapa
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Charlotte Maxeke hospital on Google Maps
Charlotte Maxeke hospital on Google Maps
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The Gauteng health department will receive a boost to ensure that the health system is improved, premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Monday.

"The Gauteng provincial treasury would come into the department and work together... in an effort to put in place systems that would build the capacity for efficient, effective, and transparent financial management," she said in Johannesburg.

This would strengthen the department's turnaround strategy. It was introduced by the executive council earlier this year to address weaknesses in the public health system.

An administrator, comprising of a body of experts, would be appointed to the department before the end of the year to focus on logistics, hospital management, human resources, financial management, and communication.

The department's budget had not been managed adequately or appropriately.

Mokonyane said a health processing centre would be established to ensure service providers were paid, and to minimise fraud.

"This is done to avoid situations where a municipality is not paid for a service provided."

Mokonyane was joined by Gauteng health MEC Hope Papo and finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe.

Nkomfe said the added capacity would help with the "thin presence" in the department.

"This is not an overall take-over of the department. What we are doing is to strengthen the financial side of the department."

Nkomfe said funds were available for this.

"We have the money," he said.

Papo added that it was capacity his department needed.

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