The Eastern Cape provincial government’s decision to take over municipal healthcare seems to be going ahead, albeit slowly.
Social Services, Community, Empowerment and Protection Services Portfolio Committee received a progress report regarding the provincialisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) services last week.
The Eastern Cape provincial government’s decision to take over municipal healthcare seems to be going ahead, albeit slowly.
Social Services, Community, Empowerment and Protection Services Portfolio Committee received a progress report regarding the provincialisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) services last week.
The lengthy process has reached a point where a draft agreement on the transfer of staff has been developed and tabled, The Eastern Cape Department of Health has been involved in this process for a while. It was on hold at one stage but was resumed in 2009.
It reportedly entails “taking over all the properties of the district and local councils aiming to bring the health sector under one government and to keep the government’s promise of bringing services closer to the people”.
According to the report from the Director of Community and Social Services “the Department of Health has been engaged in talks with the MEC responsible for Local Government and the South African Local Government Bargaining Council to ensure that the original resolution taken by the Provincial Health Council around 2006 which confirmed that provincialisation should take place”.
According to the report the Provincial Task Team (PTT ) was set up and the Ndlambe Municipality Director of Community and Protection Services was elected as the district representative for municipalities.
The draft agreement on the transfer of staff was developed and tabled at the last PTT meeting. The draft agreement stated that the transfer of staff “shall not interrupt the individual staff members’ continuity of employment service” and the employee’s contract employment continues with the new employers as if with the old employer; and the staff member’s remuneration packages “will be transferred to the Province on the terms and conditions as agreed between the province and the parties to this agreement”.
The report also stated that a local PHC staff meeting with unions has to be arranged to discuss the process and that the process is to be finalised by the end of June.
Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said that all parties affected, including South African Local Government Association, were still in negotiations and details of these negotiations cannot be released until an agreement has been reached.
