Social Cluster

Q: The Minister of Health was asked to expand on the efforts to regulate the private health care sector. It was also asked who was being targeted in the sector.

A: The Minister of Health responded that it included the entire sector. All hospitals, pharmacies and related bodies would be covered by the regulations. She noted that at the end of 2007 private hospitals had hiked their tariffs to above the inflation rate. The Department had engaged in discussions with them to reconsider the hikes. Some had obliged whereas others had not. The Minister preferred not to mention names. However, she made mention that Netcare had agreed to reconsider hikes in anaesthetic gases. The Department was actively holding discussions with the sector in order to reach agreement. The idea was to try to keep the prices in the sector as affordable and reasonable as possible. The Minister referred to the price fixing debacle involving pharmaceutical giant Adcock-Ingram and said that this had been very disturbing. The Minister had sent out a letter of appreciation to the Competition Commission for the sterling work it had done.

Q: The Minister of Health was asked why it had taken so long for dual therapy protocols to be put in place. It was also asked why Dr Colin Pfaff had been disciplined for using dual therapy when it was well within World Health Guidelines.

A: The Minister of Health responded that there were processes to follow, and going beyond these would constitute a violation. The Department of Health had its own policies and guidelines that needed to be followed. When the use of dual therapy had first emerged, it had not been an easy exercise. She said that there were so many scientific uncertainties. There was furthermore a choice between dual and triple therapy. The aim was to have protocols that were easy to follow. Minister Tshabalala-Msimang pointed out that a disciplinary matter was between the employer and the employee. Hence the matter was between the Provincial Department of Health in Kwazulu Natal and Dr Pfaff. She pointed out that Dr Pfaff had not contacted her office to intervene on the matter.

Q: The Minister of Health was asked what was being done about TB and what was the number of cases that had been confirmed. One of the issues was concerned with the isolation of patients for long periods of time. It was asked how these patients were assisted financially to maintain their families, given that they were hospitalised for long periods of time. The Minister was also asked about the legal issues involved in keeping patients in isolation for so long even though many wished to leave.

The Minister was additionally asked to comment on issues of staffing and the availability of hospital beds.

The Minister was finally asked if she would be getting a Deputy Minister in the near future.

A: The Minister agreed to furnish figures on confirmed Multi Drug Resistant (MDR)  and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) TB cases before the end of the briefing. She said that the Department was vigilant on diagnosing MDR and XDR TB. The problem first reared its head in Kwazulu Natal. The problem was one that affected the whole continent and an overall plan was needed to combat it. Assistance from the World Health Organization and others was needed if progress was to be made. The Minister said that the Department did have diagnostic technology at its disposal, and that measures had been put in place. Patients were often kept in isolation for up to 12 months. Dr Msimang said that hospitals tried to make it as comfortable as possible for patients as they were a threat to their own communities. She noted that in the Western and Eastern Cape regions patients had escaped over the 2007 festive season in order to be with their families. These individuals had to be returned by way of court interdicts. The Minister said that patients were assisted financially by way of disability grants. The biggest challenge was to ensure that treatments were completed.

Q: The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Z Pallo Jordan was asked to comment on the negative reactions over the proposed National Oath. It was also asked when discussions on it would be taking place.

A: Minister Jordan said that he was not aware of the extent of the reactions. He said that he was unable to give an actual commencement date for discussions. It was however in the public domain, and was being discussed. Minister Jordan stated that he did not understand why there were negative reactions to the National Oath as the principles underlying it had been taken directly from the Constitution. He joked that perhaps people did not know what was in the Constitution.

Q: The Department of Housing was asked how the Housing Development Agency Bill was to play a role in housing delivery.

A: Mr Mziwonke Dlabantu, Acting Deputy Director General of Housing, responded that the Housing Development Agency Bill dealt with the location of land. The bill redressed apartheid spatial planning and would allow people to cross-racial lines.

Q: The Department of Housing was asked how much of the R40 billion that financial institutions had given for housing had actually been spent. It was also asked how many houses had been built with the money.

A: Mr Dlabantu said that at the implementation of the programme he believed the figure to be at R28 billion. He said that once the figure was verified an announcement would be made. It was felt that the spirit of the Charter had been received well by all participants. The idea was to meet the goals of the programme. It was not merely a question of figures alone.

Q: Mr Dlabantu was asked how the Department intended to legislate against informal settlements.

A: Mr Dlabantu responded that a programme was in progress. A strategy was needed for the formalisation of settlements. Legislation was needed to prevent informal settlements from increasing. In many instances individuals who received houses from government often rented out their previous informal settlement houses.

Q: The Minister of Health was asked for an indication of timeframes for the adoption of dual therapy. Figures on MDR and XDR types of TB were also requested.

A: Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said that figures would be made available before the end of the briefing. She said that legislation for the protection of dual therapy patients had been considered. Some of the requirements were that dual therapy should be licensed and that doctors administering it should go for additional training. There was thus the need to mobilise additional resources. The Minister said that some provinces were ready to administer dual therapy whereas others were not. She said that a meeting would be held to interrogate the implementation plan. She added that the implementation would not take too long. The development of policy and guidelines had first to be completed.

Q: The Minister of Health was asked hypothetically if Gauteng was ready for implementation and Kwazulu Natal was not, would the one not be able to start without the other.

A: Minister Tshabalala-Msimang responded that provinces that were able to start had the right to go ahead. She however said that a proper implementation plan was needed. The Minister said that it was the prerogative of the province to implement.

Q: Ms Lindiwe Hendricks, Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, was asked what was to replace the bucket system of toilets.

A: Minister Hendricks said that the replacement depended on the municipality of the area. Factors influencing the decision were geography, resources and availability of water. In areas where there was sufficient water, flush toilets would be installed. In areas where water was scarce, easy-loos or Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilets would be installed. The VIP toilets were upgradable and were more dignified than the bucket system.
 
Q: Mr Dlabantu was asked why the Housing Development Agency was not part of the Department of Housing. The Agency apparently worked closely with municipalities.

A: Mr Dlabantu said that efficiencies had to be considered. Issues of land were local issues. The Agency would have the capabilities to bring various parties together for development.

Q: Mr Dlabantu was asked what strategies the Department of Housing had for house invasions.

A: Mr Dlabantu responded that everyone was aware of the sophisticated nature of processes and said that he did not wish to speculate.

Q: Minister Hendricks was asked to comment on the possibility of South African water supply infrastructure collapsing.

A: Minister Hendricks gave the assurance that South Africa was not facing a water crisis. There was also not a problem of water contamination and the water quality in South Africa was considered to be one of the best in the world. A water quality monitoring system was also in place and it was currently being used in the Free State. There was however contamination of water in certain mine areas and pollution in rivers and dams. Cleanups had taken place in the short term and in the medium term infrastructure would be upgraded. Minister Hendricks said that water infrastructure was taking a strain with the ever increasing population. 

Q: The Minister of Health was asked what specific regulations there were for the private health sector.

A: Minister Tshabalala Msimang responded that it was a question of negotiation and the terms were confidential. She said that the Department never knew what the terms were. It was hoped that there would be greater transparency. Prices were far too high and the need for regulation was evident.

Q: The Minister of Health was asked to comment on the claim by NGOs that she was dragging her feet on the implementation of dual therapy.

A: Minister Tshabalala- Msimang said that she was the first to express concerns over mono therapy. The Department of Health had to evaluate the impact of nevirapine. The Department did however not have enough time to investigate the implications of administering dual therapy. 

Q: The Minister of Health was advised that these complaints from NGOs that the Department of Health had been dragging its feet on the implementation of dual therapy had arisen over the past 12 to 18 . The previous response given by the Minister applied to issues in the past.

A: Minister Tshabalala-Msimang felt that the Department was moving as fast as it could. She said that she supported the use of dual therapy.

Q: Mr Dlabantu was asked what percentage of house owners that had received houses from the Department had been given title deeds.

A: Mr Dlabantu said that he would have to check the statistics.

Q: Minister Hendricks was asked how sure she was that water was safe in South Africa.

A: Minister Hendricks responded that water quality was continuously being monitored in South Africa. In 2006 a dam safety rehabilitation programme and a river health programme had been started. Regulations were also in place to penalise those who polluted.

Q: The Minister of Arts was told that there were talks that certain individuals wished to seek legal recourse against the National Oath being introduced at schools. Minister Jordan was also asked what action would be taken against schools who did not comply.

A: Minister Jordan said that he did not understand why people would want to go the legal route on the issue. He was not certain what the stance of the Department of Education was on non-compliance by schools. It was nevertheless felt that there was little room for non-compliance by government schools.

Q: Minister Jordan was asked whether the process on the standardisation of names had been done piecemeal.

A: Minister Jordan responded that the matter had been legislated since 1998. There had been procedural compliance. The issue now was about getting everyone on board. Public consultations would be announced.

Q: The Minister of Arts was asked what the capital of South Africa was.

A: Minister Jordan stated that Pretoria was the capital and that Tswane was the municipality.

The briefing was concluded.