DURBAN - Supply chain management and procurement problems surfaced at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital when the portfolio committee for health conducted an oversight visit on Wednesday.
The hospital management briefed committee members on how procurement processes had an adverse effect on the hospital’s finances and provision of services.
CEO Dr Linda Mtshali said the supply chain management (SCM) prescripts the hospital had to follow to secure supplies were laborious.
“When the hospital was commissioned in the early 2000s, it had no procurement framework, which presented a huge issue when it comes to securing services. For procurement to be successful, there is an extensive process we have to follow, including getting three quotations and a bidding committee for tenders – a process currently being overseen by one SCM manager, instead of five.
“All the processes we have to go through slow down the capacity of the hospital’s response to emergencies and subsequent need for supplies. So, the lack of finance staff has led to procurement issues and irregular expenditure,“ Mtshali said.
She said almost 300 nursing vacancies needed to be filled, and that it needed the government’s intervention.
Finance management then outlined its financial predicaments in relation to the budget allocation from government. It said money given to the hospital year-on-year had been less than what the hospital spent in each financial year, and that this would be a prevailing issue in the coming financial year unless additional funds were provided.
The hospital is also facing a claim of up to R1.5 million for the 2021/21 financial year.
Before the briefing, the committee visited the theatre court, where it observed that not all the rooms were in use. Mtshali said this was usual practice in a hospital as it ensured that in case of an emergency, theatres would be available.
“It is common practice at the hospital that we have 80% to 90% of theatres occupied, which is a guard against the occasional emergency surgeries from car accidents and some from other clinics.
“The visit from the KZN legislature is welcomed, it tells us that our work is not to be taken lightly.
“Hospitals do not operate entirely independently, but require the oversight and collaboration from governing bodies,” Mtshali said.
Committee chairperson Nomakiki Majola said: “We have a duty as the portfolio committee for health to conduct inspections in order to fully understand hospital operations. Hospital management was very welcoming, professional, and allowed us to scrutinise parts of the hospital, especially the theatres. We are satisfied that the Albert Luthuli Hospital is the best in KwaZulu-Natal in operations.”
She also said the visit was to observe whether the hospital had made the necessary adjustments after receiving increased financial support from the government.
The committee’s visit to the hospital came weeks after it visited Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
Daily News