Cape Town - Health Minister Joe Phaahla has explained the expenditure of R843 million from the National Health Insurance (NHI) grant, on three hospitals in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
This after DA MP Michele Clarke wrote to Phaahla enquiring about the three facilities mentioned in the 2021/22 annual report as being maintained, repaired and/or refurbished to the amount of R843 288 000 from the NHI grant.
In his response, Phaahla said R17.5m was spent on the Mossel Bay Hospital in the Western Cape, R7.8m was expenditure incurred by Appelsbosch Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal and R11m was spent on Edendale Hospital also in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The R843 288 000 mentioned (in the annual report) was the full budget allocation for the entire National Health Insurance Grant.
“It was not only for the above-mentioned facilities. There were other facilities that were targeted within the R843 288 000 budget,” he said.
Phaahla also said work undertaken at Mossel Bay Hospital included backlog maintenance to existing building, installation, equipment and infrastructure.
Similar work was undertaken at Appelsbosch and Edendale hospitals.
“The identified work mentioned for the facilities was completed in the 2022/23 financial year.”
He stated that the facilities were situated in the NHI Pilot Districts and were identified to form part of the NHI Pilot.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (Safe), launched in 2018, was set to be completed in the current 2023/24 financial year.
IFP MP Siphosethu Ngcobo had asked why her department had not been able to eradicate pit latrines.
Ngcobo noted that some of the department’s budget for the eradication of pit latrines had been returned to the National Treasury, and that the department would not achieve its own target to eradicate pit toilets by 2025.
Motshekga said the department had assessed the infrastructure at all public schools in 1996.
She said the department had estimated at the time that about 9 000 schools had no appropriate toilets and were dependent on basic pit toilets.
“At the time, it was estimated that the number of schools dependent on basic pit toilets had reduced to 3 898.
“Several of the 3 898 schools were small and unviable and were subsequently rationalised and/or closed.”
Motshekga also said the sanitation projects at 2 547 schools had already progressed to completion.
“The remaining 850 schools have been allocated to implementing agents, and the sanitation protects are scheduled to achieve practical completion during the current 2023/24 financial year,” she said.
Cape Times