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The Portfolio Committee on Health yesterday received a progress report from the Department of Health on the department’s key initiatives, performance and challenges across various programme areas.
 
Committee Chairperson Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said, “It is our duty to closely monitor the work of the department and ensure that it is making meaningful progress in addressing the pressing healthcare needs of our nation.”
 
Briefing the committee, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, the Director-General, and other senior departmental officials highlighted key achievements and challenges across a range of priority areas, including the rollout of National Health Insurance (NHI), communicable and non-communicable disease management, primary healthcare, and health system governance.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health said, “We appreciate the opportunity to engage extensively with the committee and provide a comprehensive account of our work. While we have made significant progress in many areas, we acknowledge that challenges remain, and we are committed to working closely with the committee to address these issues and ensure the successful implementation of our strategic initiatives.”

One area of particular concern raised by the committee was the department’s performance in addressing the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. The committee said the persistently low treatment success rates for both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB are unacceptable. The committee urged the department to intensify its efforts to address this critical public health challenge and ensure all patients diagnosed with TB are successfully initiated and retained on treatment.
 
The committee also had concerns about the department’s challenges in decanting eligible HIV patients to differentiated models of care. The committee noted that the decline in decanting rates in some provinces is deeply worrying and threatens to undermine progress in managing the HIV burden. The committee said it wants to see a renewed focus and concrete action to address this issue.

Acknowledging the committee’s concerns, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, emphasised the department’s commitment to strengthening its approach. “We recognise the urgency of the TB and HIV epidemics, and we are working closely with provinces to identify and address the bottlenecks that are hindering our progress. This includes enhancing our patient tracing and adherence support mechanisms to ensure no one falls through the cracks.”
 
On efforts to scale up screening for key non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, hypertension and diabetes, Dr Dhlomo said, “We are encouraged to see the department’s focus on early detection through increased screening initiatives. However, we stress the critical importance of ensuring that those identified through these screening programmes are promptly initiated on appropriate treatment and management protocols.” The committee asked the department to accelerate its efforts in this regard, highlighting that the screening initiatives must be coupled with robust linkages to care and treatment access to truly impact on health outcomes.
 
Regarding the department’s unannounced visits to healthcare facilities, the committee commend this initiative, as it allows a more accurate and real-time understanding of the challenges on ground level. The committee was of the view that the Minister and Deputy Minister’s hands-on approach demonstrates the department’s commitment to identifying and addressing gaps in service delivery.

Dr Motsoaledi said, “Our unannounced facility inspections have been crucial in providing us with an unfiltered view of the realities our healthcare workers and patients face daily. This direct engagement allows us to identify systemic issues and implement targeted interventions to improve the quality of care and patient experiences.”

The committee also delved into the department’s efforts to improve primary healthcare, with a particular focus on the ideal clinic realisation and maintenance programme and the rollout of the ideal hospital initiative. Members asked the department to provide the necessary support and oversight to ensure all hospitals are able to accurately assess their readiness and implement the required improvements.”

The committee expressed its appreciation for the department’s transparency and willingness to engage constructively on the issues raised. “Today’s meeting has been invaluable in providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the department’s work and the challenges they face,” said Dr Dhlomo.

Issued by the parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo