State moves to tackle North West health saga
Cabinet has invoked section 100(1b) of the Constitution to take over the Department of Health in violence-torn North West, says a BusinessLIVE report. It has also mandated a ministerial task team to undertake a fact-finding mission to the province and report back in two weeks, Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said.
Treasury and the national Department of Health would take over the management and leadership of the North West department. While concerned about the general situation of instability in North West, Cabinet was also particularly concerned about the situation in the province’s Department of Health, which required immediate intervention.
Some clinics and hospitals had closed down even before the protests and there was a stand-off between management and workers in the sector, Mokonyane said.
The fact-finding team will include the Ministers of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (as the convener), Health, Finance, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Justice and all Ministers in the crime prevention and security cluster.
Mokonyane said the main objectives of the intervention were aimed at:
* Restoring trust and confidence between labour and government.
* Assisting the province to upgrade its systems and capabilities to a new normality.
* Ensuring compliance with the legislative and regulatory framework of government.
* Stabilising the labour environment, restoring sustainable service delivery, ensuring the security of staff and improving financial management.
According to a News24 report, Mokonyane said Treasury and the National Department of Health would step in on behalf of the government in North West's Health Department to ensure services were delivered. Some hospitals and clinics in the province closed after staff members downed tools in a strike led by the National Health Education and Allied Workers Union. There were also reports that some staff had intimidated their colleagues and forced them to abandon patients. Health services in parts of the country have ground to a halt since the Nehawu strike began two months ago. It led to a go-slow at the main medical depot‚ resulting in a shortage of medication and other supplies. The situation was exacerbated by the violent protests gripping the province.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
