Question NW2380 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
08 December 2016 - NW2380
Holomisa, Dr BH to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)With regard to the Military Veterans Health Practitioner’s Association (MVPHA), which was contracted by her department to deliver health and wellness services under a contract that was declared as irregular in the Auditor-General’s report for the 2013-14 financial year, (a) who is the MVPHA and (b) why was the specified company’s contract allowed to continue until the end of the 2014-15 financial year, despite the finding of illegality against it; (2) what is her department’s position with regard to the perception of double standards on how it deals with perceived or actual irregular service provider contracts, given the dispute on the current service provider contract that is currently in court; (3) whether she has found that there are personal relationships between the owners or managers of the company and current senior managers of (a) her department and/or (b) her Ministry; if so, (i) what is the nature of the relationship and (ii) has this been disclosed in any way; (4) (a) what amount was paid to the MVHPA and (b) when was the last payment made to them; (5) whether she has found that there are military veterans who might have died as a result of lack of access to health care services; if not, what has been done to investigate whether the lack of access to health care contributes to the deaths of military veterans; if so, how many military veterans have died as a result of lack of access to health care services?
Reply:
(1) (a) MVHPA is the Military Veterans Health Professional Association, a network of service providers which provided military veterans with access to primary healthcare services prior 2014.
(b) The Department of Military Veterans signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Military Veterans Health Professional Association (MVHPA) on the 23rd May 2013. This was followed by a partnership between DMV, South African Military Health Services (SAMHS) and MVHPA on a program to conduct healthcare assessment for all qualifying military veterans in order to obtain their disease profile as well as provision of related treatment and referral for appropriate level of healthcare. An agreement existed between MVHPA and SAMHS but no Service Level Agreement was in place to formalize the arrangement between DMV and MVHPA and hence the finding by the Auditor-General that the relationship was illegal, which rendered all payment transactions made to MVHPA irregular.
However the service still had to be rendered until another service provider was appointed.
Question (2)
What is her department’s position with regard to the perception of double standards on how it deals with perceived or actual irregular service provider contracts, given the dispute on the current service provider contract that is currently in court;
Response (2): The question refers to matter that is currently in court and is consequently sub judice. In terms of Rule 89 of the National Assembly, “No member may reflect upon the merits of any matter on which a judicial decision in a court of law is pending.”
Question (3)
whether she has found that there are personal relationships between theowners or managers of the company and current senior managers of (a) her department and/or (b) her Ministry; if so, (i) what is the nature of the relationship and (ii) has this been disclosed in any way;
Response (3):
No personal relationships have been disclosed and the department is not aware of any. The department is awaiting the outcome of a Public Service Commission investigation into this matter.
Question (4)
(a) what amount was paid to the MVHPA and (b) when was the last payment made to them;
Response (4):
(a) Total amount paid is R14 883 532.00. (b) The last payment was made on 17 October 2014.
Question (5)
whether she has found that there are military veterans who might have died as a result of lack of access to health care services; if not, what has been done to investigate whether the lack of access to health care contributes to the deaths of military veterans; if so, how many military veterans have died as a result of lack of access to health care services? NW2711E
Response (5):
The Department entered into an MoU with SAMHS to afford military veterans access to health care. The department is not aware of any cases where Military Veterans have died as a result of lack of access to health care services. If the honourable member knows of such cases he is encouraged to report them to the Minister.