Question NW4541 to the Minister of Health:
23 December 2022 - NW4541
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health:
Whether, with reference to the process of applications for the establishment of healthcare clinics about which communities have been complaining of submitting applications and never receiving feedback, his department will furnish Ms M D Hlengwa with the details of (a) how applications for healthcare clinics are processed and reviewed, (b) how long after the application is made by a community can the community expect feedback on the success or failure of the application and (c) what mechanisms will his department use to communicate the feedback to applicants? NW5670E
Reply:
The responsibility and process for receiving and reviewing requests and granting permission for new clinics to be developed is with provincial and district health management.
(a) In the case of a private health facility, applications for new facilities are made to the district management. District management then makes a recommendation to a provincial committee and the provincial committee will make a decision based on documentation received from the district. The provincial committee will make a recommendation to the accounting officer of the provincial health department to approve or not. The district recommendation will be based on the following:
(i) A detailed explanation of why the facility is required
(ii) Is an existing building considered or is a new building required
(iii) Size of population to be served
(iv) Proximity and utilisation rate of facilities in the same catchment area.
(v) Human Resource Plan
(vi) Stakeholder inputs
In the case of a public health facility, a decision will be made based on the size of the community to be served and the proximity and utilization rate at the nearest existing health facilities. If after considering the above factors, it is found that the community does need a new clinic, the construction of the clinic will be planned for in terms of the availability of land, and human and material resources.
(b) In the case of a private facility, it can take up to 90 days since provincial review meetings generally take place once a quarter. In the case of a public facility, the community will be involved in discussions through local community leaders and the district health council. Through these structures continual feedback is provided with regard to progress.
(c) In the case of a private facility communication will be in writing. In the case of a public facility, the community will be informed through community and district structures, whether the building of a clinic has been approved or not, and if approved for which year its planning has been entered into the provincial department’s infrastructure plan. Should community members engage Department’s in writing they should receive responses in writing as well.