The Gauteng Health Department has pledged to prioritise its infrastructure by enhancing security measures to prevent the loss and destruction of public property.
Dr. Nomonde Nolutshungu, provincial head of department, said at Tuesday’s Citizens’ Forum in Pretoria that, as part of its six-month strategy, the department would also simplify its supply chain management.
This action, according to Nolutshungu, will reduce logistical expenses and existing bottlenecks that impede the management of the flow of products and services.
“We have started implementing the plan and various areas of improvement have been observed. We are also strengthening our objectives regarding ethical conduct to address the issue of moral integrity amongst our public service officials.”
Through this strategy, the HOD believes that the department is laying a solid foundation to turn the tide of the public health system.
“We are acutely aware of the fact that the government can never achieve those goals without the support of everyone in the room today,” she stressed.
The forum was sponsored by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in collaboration with her department and medical universities in Gauteng.
Citizens’ Forum allows community members and other stakeholders to interact with the authorities responsible for the delivery of healthcare services. Public members, medical universities, non-governmental organisations, hospital boards, labour unions, and healthcare experts were among the guests.
The forum’s emphasis on enhancing governance will aid the department in working more efficiently, establishing a common vision and objectives, and being responsible to the public.
She also expects that her department will maximise the development of a well-trained health staff in the province by capitalising on the province’s richness of expertise.
This should improve our planning and budgeting procedures as well as the execution of our programmes, putting us on a better road to meeting the expectations of our constituents.
The conference will also aid the department in reaching a consensus on the optimal way to control the link between the development of human capital for health and the growth of knowledge.
In order to develop and restore confidence in government services, the department has prioritised enhancing the delivery of healthcare services and meeting the vital requirements of residents, according to the head of department.
“It is critically important to ensure and support the predictable, equitable and sustainable production of adequately trained healthcare workers and as well as high standard knowledge production whilst providing a health service meeting at least the minimum prescribed national standards and quality,” she said.
“There is no reason for this province not to be the hub of knowledge development in the field of health sciences.”