Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi.
SCORE: C
The Department of Health earns a C this year. Unlike previous years of total decline, the department hit major targets, particularly in its massive HIV and TB programs. By ensuring 96% of people with HIV know their status, South Africa remains a global leader in epidemic control.
However, this grade reflects a department weighed down by provincial chaos. The Auditor-General (AG) warns that the system is still drowning in R24 billion of unpaid bills. While the department tries to tighten the belt, provincial hospitals are still failing to manage their budgets, leading to shortages of medicine and staff.
This massive debt is directly hurting patient care. This lack of resources has resulted in fed-up citizens taking the law into their own hands by blocking foreign nationals from facilities, believing they are exhausting scarce resources.
While Minister Motsoaledi has started the difficult work of preparing for National Health Insurance (NHI), the AG shows the foundation is shaky. To get a B next year, the department must fix hospital finances and stop billions from being wasted through poor management.