The South African Municipal Workers Union has opposed the moving of clinics from municipal to provincial administration, saying on Wednesday that this would affect service delivery.
“As the largest local government union it is our considered view that such basic services should be provided by municipalities, as municipalities are the centre of gravity for the provision of quality service delivery,” Samwu spokesperson Tahir Sema said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Eastern Cape health department, he said, was busy transferring clinics to its administration.
“The department has not engaged with Samwu as one of the stakeholders. We have seen a draft paper which has been circulating, but the department has not consulted with us,” he said.
The national health department did not have the money to run these facilities.
“Our experience in the transfer of services to the provincial administration in other provinces, such as the Free State, Limpopo and the Western Cape, has proved beyond reasonable doubt that this process creates more problems in many respects,” he said.
Public sector unions
“As the largest local government union we will also begin to mobilise our sister unions in the public sector, to join us in the fight for proper health care.”
He said the department “is currently on a staggering R1,6-billion deficit.
“The department is in a crisis.”
Department spokesperson Fidel Hadebe denied this.
“We have sufficient funds to do what we need to do. There are problems in municipalities in terms of their priorities. You find that in most municipalities health is at the bottom of their priorities.”
Because of this, primary health services were neglected. The department would move clinics under its provincial level as the facilities were part of the department’s priorities.
Standardised service
But researchers at the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) say moving clinics from municipalities to the provincial health department would be a bit like “moving the furniture”. The Eastern Cape health department is beset with administrative and financial problems and its ability to provide adequate health services have been called into question.
PSAM health researcher Daygan Eagar said the move is an attempt to standardise services across the province. “The department is looking to provide consistency in terms of the services rendered at state facilities,” he said. However, Eagan warned the added burden of administering facilities currently run by municipalities would cause further difficulties for an already overstretched administration.
He said that in some areas municipally run clinics are well managed and well resourced, whereas in others they are poorly run and badly resourced. One of the dangers of this move is that facilities that are currently well run will suffer from the move.
Eagar also said that it is important that for the health department to consult with the unions, which play an important role in governance at health facilities. – Sapa and M&G