Question NW3391 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
27 November 2017 - NW3391
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(a) What is the level of medical stock at 1 Military Hospital, (b) why has this indicator been removed in her department’s Annual Performance Plan and (c) what has she found is the direct impact of the medical stock level on soldiers and military veterans?
Reply:
a) The current levels of medical stock in the SAMHS military hospitals including 1 Military Hospital is low as a result of insufficient funding. Funds had been reprioritised within the Department of Defence to procure medical stock.
b) The performance indicator for the ‘Percentage availability of medical stock’ was not removed from the Annual Performance Plan of the Department of Defence. The performance information is merely indicated as classified information as the performance indicator contains information of strategic reserves of pharmaceuticals and medical consumables.
c) The current levels of medical stock could have an impact on soldiers and military veterans in the absence of management interventions and alternative interventions such as buy-outs.