Question NW763 to the Minister of Health
05 April 2023 - NW763
Wilson, Ms ER to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What number of times has the anti-corruption forum within the health sector (HSACF) met in each year since it was established in 2018; (2) what (a) number of allegations of corruption have (i) been referred to the forum and (ii) resulted in investigations by the HSACF in each year since 2018 and (b) was the nature of the allegations, such as fraud, maladministration and/or corruption; (3) what number of the specified investigations have resulted in (a) successful criminal prosecutions, (b) civil recoveries, (c) medical practitioners struck off the roll, (d) medical aid scheme sanctions emanating from HSACF referrals in each case, (4) what specified preventative and/or risk-management measures were implemented by the HSACF?
Reply:
1. The Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF) has convened its meetings on Nine (09) occasions since 2018, below is the details of the meetings:
|
# |
Date of Meeting |
|
1. |
23 August 2018 |
|
2. |
20 November 2018 |
|
3. |
27 November 2019 |
|
4. |
21 May 2019 |
|
5. |
30 June 2020 |
|
6. |
02 December 2020 |
|
7. |
29 June 2021 |
|
8. |
30 March 2022 |
|
9. |
21 September 2022 |
In addition, the HSACF has established the Steering Committee that has been mandated to assess all health-related corruption allegations that have been reported. The Steering Committee serves as an operational structure of HSACF and meets more frequently or as and when there are new allegations that has been reported, which requires to go through assessment process.
2. (a) Number of allegations of corruption have (i) been referred to the forum and (ii) resulted in investigations by the HSACF in each year since 2018.
- A total number of eleven (11) allegations were reported to the HSACF in 2018/19/20. All allegations were referred to the relevant entities who are part of the HSACF for formal investigations as per their legislative mandate.
- A total number of twelve (12) allegations were reported to the HSACF in 2020/21. All allegations were referred to the relevant entities who are part of the HSACF for formal investigations as per their legislative mandate.
- A total number of five (05) allegations were reported to the HSACF in 2021/22. All allegations were referred to the relevant entities who are part of the HSACF for formal investigations as per their legislative mandate.
- One (01) allegation was reported to the HSACF in 2022/23. The allegation was referred to the relevant entity who is part of the HSACF for formal investigations as per their legislative mandate.
3. The HSACF has registered quite a significant investigations outcomes or successes in twelve (12) matters that were reported to the Forum and formally investigated by member entities. The below table highlight some of the successes in terms of criminal prosecution, civil recoveries, and medical aid sanctions:
|
# |
Entity Investigated |
Investigation Outcomes |
|
1 |
Health Professional Council of South Africa |
|
|
2 |
Provision of Aero Medical & Patient Transport – NW |
|
|
3 |
Provision of Aero Medical & Patient Transport – FS |
|
|
4 |
National Health Laboratory Services |
|
|
5 |
Council for Medical Schemes |
|
|
6 |
Office of the State Attorney |
Focus Area 1: Maladministration in connection with the affairs of the office of the State Attorney in relation to― (a) legal services that were provided, or procured, by the office of the State Attorney in the performance of its functions as contemplated in section 3 of the State Attorney Act, 1957 (Act No. 56 of 1957), on behalf of― (i) the Gauteng Department of Health and the Eastern Cape Department of Health in respect of claims based on medical negligence; Legal Practitioners
Medical negligence cases in Court.
Focus Area 2: Maladministration in connection with the affairs of the office of the State Attorney in relation to ― the South African Police Service in respect of claims based on wrongful arrest or detention, assault, or malicious prosecution.
Focus Area 3: The procurement of legal services, as contemplated in paragraph 2(a) of this Schedule, by the office of the State Attorney, or payments which were made in respect thereof, in a manner that was― (a) not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable or cost-effective; or (b) contrary to manuals, policies, procedures, prescripts, instructions or practices of, or applicable to the office of the State Attorney, and any related unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure which the Department or the State incurred as a result thereof.
Focus Area 4: Irregular conduct by— (a) employees or officials of the office of the State Attorney; or (b) any other person or entity, relating to the allegations referred to in paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Schedule."
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|
7 |
South African Health Product Regulatory Authority |
|
|
8 |
National Department of Health Medico Legal Claims |
|
|
9 |
National Department of Health |
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|
10 |
Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS) |
|
|
11 |
COVID-19 National Proclamation |
|
|
12 |
Pretoria Eye Institute |
|
4. Specified preventative and/or risk-management measures were implemented by the HSACF
- A series of webinars were successfully rolled out in 2020/21FY under the banner of HSACF Corruption Prevention Program with the following objectives:
- To create public awareness about corruption in the health sector
- To profile the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF)
- To raise awareness about whistleblowing and witness protection
Amongst the thematic areas in relation to health sector corruption that were discussed include the following:
- The corruption pandemic in South Africa’s health sector
- National Health Insurance (NHI) and its vulnerability to corruption
- Combatting corruption in the private health sector
- When corruption and Covid-19 intersect
- Unpacking whistleblowing protection in South Africa
2. Collaboration with UNODC to implement corruption prevention programs in South Africa’s health sector.
- The HSACF is collaborating with the UNODC to implement corruption prevention initiatives in the health sector, which include strengthening whistleblowing/reporting mechanism and corruption risk assessments. Two (2) health sector entities were identified to implement these projects.
- These entities include HPCSA where a pilot project will be implemented on strengthening their internal whistleblowing/reporting channels and National Department of Health where corruption risk assessments will be implemented in particular around procurement.
3. Corruption Risk Mitigation Plan for COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out
- The COVID-19 Corruption Risk Mitigation Plan (CRIMP) was initiated to supports the National Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-Out Plan, led by the Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by the Deputy President
- The key objective of CRIMP was to develop and implement a specific anti-corruption lens on the roll-out of the vaccine taking lessons from the PPE investigations.
- The development of the CRIMP was led by DPME, working closely Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, convened by the SIU under the ACTT Prog 4.
The specific purpose of CRIMP was to enhance and complement existing efforts by providing:
- Framework and template to assess COVID-19 Vaccine corruption risks.
- Consolidate and Assess (“hack”/stress test) the workstream plans into a single, living anti-corruption risk mitigation plan.
- Act as coordination interface between the IMC work streams and specialist anti-corruption capacity (such as ACTT and its Fusion Centre) where required.
- Act as coordination interface with civil society, business, and labour; and optimise the existing mechanisms (e.g., with the SIU led Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum) on broadening the anti-corruption response.
END.