Page 171 - Provincial Treasury Estimates.pdf

Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) – 2023/24 Financial Year
The department in partnership with South African National Council for the blind conducted 55 Cataract

Surgeries at St Elizabeth Hospital in November 2022. Furthermore, the department distributed 800
Reading Spectacles to Chris Hani District to be made available to all eligible persons.

Highlights of maternal and child health outcomes
The department achieved a significant reduction in maternal mortality rates in the third quarter to 85.8 per

100 000 live births compared to around 157 deaths per 100 000 live births during COVID-19 and around
108 per 100 000 pre-COVID-19.

Significant reduction in Child Under 5 Years Deaths and a reduction in deaths due to Diarrheoa, Severe
Acute Malnutrition and Pneumonia in children under 5 years with Immunization Under 1-year coverage
remaining above 82 per cent, in the main due to the catch-up campaigns launched

COVID-19

The goal of the vaccination programme is to reach 70 per cent of the population. Total COVID-19 doses

administered is 4 310 789. Total first doses administered is 258 855 or 52.3 per cent. Total persons fully
vaccinated is 2 194 941 or 44.4 per cent. Total general boosters is 427 269 or 19.5 per cent. The largest

number of second doses required in the OR Tambo District contributes 24.8 per cent to the provincial
shortfall falling further behind. Four districts demonstrated a week on week increase in the number of
persons requiring a second dose indicating that we are still reaching first time vaccinations

Digitalisation and eHealth

The department has rolled out Health Management System HMS2 to 19 hospitals, registered over 5 million

patients; admitted more than 300,000 patient to wards and processed over 600,000 out-patients. The
system also includes the eLiability and ePAIA systems so that facilities have live data pertaining to the
medico-legal risk.

The department is in the process to rollout the Computer Aided Design (CAD) solution. The equipment
for the solution and the customization of the software has been completed. The department is currently
addressing the network connectivity in the selected call centres. Call taking agents have been appointed

in the financial year as part of addressing human capacity gaps in the call centres. A technical advisor
has been appointed to lead the technology support on the project.

Medico legal claims

The department continued to work on the strategies to deal with medico legal claims. There are steering
committees with the State Legal Unit (SLU). The recent 7 February 2023 landmark judgement of the EC
High Court gives us a glimmer of hope, as Judge Griffiths ruled to make it common law that reparation for

medical negligence claims can be expanded to not only be the once and for all, lump sum cash settlements,
but also include that services and supplies can be provided by the department of Health. The judgement
also makes provision for the novel “undertaking to pay” defense which allows the State to undertake to

provide for those services and supplies it may not have, as and when needed. The Court wisely ensures

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