Page 175 - Provincial Treasury Estimates.pdf

Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) – 2023/24 Financial Year
support of our stakeholders to improve the quality of care we can provide through consolidation and

equitable redistribution of health resources.

Implementation of the measles vaccination

South Africa is faced with localised measles outbreak, The Department has undertaken another big task

of vaccinating all children from 6 months to under 15 years, in and out of school, regardless of their measles
vaccination status. HPV vaccination will only be administered to grade 5 girl learners aged 9 years and
older in schools. For Vitamin A, the target is all children missing their routine doses (catch-up) up to 59
months.

Health system strengthening and improved patient experience of care

Support the “hub and spoke” model to ensure that not all district hospitals are providing all services, but
that referral pathways are set up and supported by districts and EMS. The focus will be on 8-10 priority

hospitals ensuring staff, infrastructure and equipment is available. Suggested: St Patricks, Uitenhage,
Butterworth, St Barnabas, Taylor Bequest (Matatiele), Holy Cross, All Saints, Madwaleni, Zithulele,
Madzikane kaZulu. Consider Aliwal North (not as high inpatient load but strategic for Joe Gqabi). Appoint

family physicians in these first priority hospitals to support skills development. Surgical procedures to
focus on: wound washouts, below knee amputations, orchidectomy, skin grafts, lymph node biopsy,
drainage abscess, tendon repairs, ectopic. Next level: hernia repairs, appendectomy. Ensure budget

issues are addressed for these district hospitals to be providing expanded services

Emergency Medical Services

The department has maintained the total fleet of 808 vehicles which include 447 ambulances, 181 patient
transport vehicles, 118 response vehicles, 41 rescue vehicles, and 21 administration vehicles. The

department has on average of between 60 – 70 per cent operational fleet while the vehicles are often
grounded with a long turnaround time at local merchants. Emergency Medical Services replaced ageing

fleet that was non-compliant and had high mileages exceeding 300 000km per 40 months. A total of
57 replacement ambulances were received in this financial year. A total of 115 frontline supervisors were
trained in management development programme. Emergency Medical Services signed a Service Level

Agreement (SLA) with Livingstone Hospital Emergency Department. This collaboration will assist in
strengthening continuum of quality care and later rollout to Central and Eastern Region. Preparations for
the rollout of the Call taking and Dispatch system included procurement of equipment, readiness

assessment of sites in Gqeberha, East London and Komani, 600 handheld radios supplied to staff to
improve communication while in transit. Aero medical services resumed in the province .

Disaster Management

An Internal Disaster Management Committee was established in the previous financial year and will

continue monitoring the flood situation in the province. The Department has a representative that forms
part of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre with COGTA, playing the lead role in the management

of disasters in the province. The Department has a disaster preparedness plan that it will implement in
case of disasters.

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