Chris+Hani+Bara+Transfomation+Project+Update+060719

TO: Health and Community Stakeholders

 * FROM: Nehawu Campaigns Committee on Chris Hani Transformation Project: Moloantoa Molaba**


 * DATE: 19 JULY 2006**


 * RE: REPORT ON SEVERAL MATTERS RELATING TO NEHAWU MARCH AT CHRIS HANI BARAGWANATH HOSPITAL**

This is a broad assessment report covering political, policy issues and developments since the march. Finally we will tentatively propose a way forward on several issues.

We want to thank all of you for being part of the march and all your organising efforts to popularise the issues that has led to the campaign and march.

MARCH ASSESMENT
The march was a huge success. It was attended by various stakeholders, amongst them: Health Workers from Chris Hani, Clinicians, Taxi Drivers, APF, Nactu/Napswu, TAC, Traditional Healers, Religious leaders, Wits Medical School and others.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Overall the media coverage has been good, during the build up, at the march itself and more decisively after. The Nehawu GS, Naledi and the Project itself has received extensive coverage from SAFM, Business Day Finance Week, Jozi Fm, and Health-e. These are positive developments.

MEC PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENTS AT AND AFTER THE MARCH
1) The decentralisation of powers to two hospitals was announced. CEOs will have powers to hire and fire. This is a huge challenge for public service delivery and for Nehawu. Where is DPSA on this? Will it remain the employer? These are the matters that as we interact with the Office of the MEC and Health Department we will get more clarity on. Clearly Nehawu does not want each Hospital to be an employer that can hire and fire and thereby determine wages and conditions of employment for its employees.

2) Funding Naledi/Chris Hani Transformation Project – R5 million is made available for tender and a second R5 million would be made available in October (so far the tender is couched in the language that can allow continuity with regard to work Naledi has done in the last 5 years). We are happy with that.

3) Hospitals will run their budgets (We expect that current budgets cannot fill funded vacant posts as per our demand. If so then there is pressure on the question of vacant posts.

4) Chris Hani Bara and George Mukhari Academic hospitals are the only two hospitals to have these powers (no timeline for other hospitals were mentioned)

5) Dr Manning appointed as the Chris Hani Hospital CEO. We welcome this. Dr Manning has both health background and the grasp of what Chris Hani Transformation Project seeks to do.

Most of these MEC pronouncements are positive. They have moved a long way in reducing the tension that was beginning to build up between us and the Health Department. We further hope a more phased approach and well thought through decentralisation of powers will go a long way towards improving capacity of the hospitals to prudently use these new found powers. We will engage MEC Office and the Department on how and when these complex but important decisions will be implemented.

Finally, we met with the MEC on Friday 15th July. We had a good cordial and forward looking meeting. Naledi presented the Project to the MEC for the first time. His response was positive. In fact Naledi alongside three other consultants have submitted their tender to do the transformation work. So we hope the presentation will further improve the chances of Naledi getting the tender!!!! The meeting resolved on a committee, constituted by Health Department and Nehawu to look at how we can take forward issues raised by the Naledi Transformation Project, demands contained in the Nehawu memo and the current MEC response to those demands.
 * MEETING WITH THE MEC**

ARE THE DEMANDS OF THE MARCH MET?
We think close to 80% of the demands are met. This represents huge progress, but unfortunately the pressing issues of staff shortages, apartheid allocation between CHB and JHB, plan to appoint and develop managers with clinical experience, issue of the interim staff planner, review of all health workers’ salaries are not met in clear unambiguous terms. The issue of staff shortages is the most pressing one. However through the established processes with the Office of the MEC a platform is available to raise these further.

RETAINING RELATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS
We want to retain relations with you over broad health related matters beyond the Chris Baragwanath Hospital Hani issues. We therefore resolved to do the following:

1) To further engage you on the transformation of the Hospital Board. We must discuss this with the aim of finding a model that reflects the new powers to CEO and representativity and power to influence how things are done in the hospital.

2) We must follow up and take a public stance on issues of the Medical Advisory Committee members that we met with. These issues relate to salaries and overall working conditions, the issue of developing and employing managers with health background as opposed to the new emerging tendency to appoint private sector managers - managers that are more likely to view workers and clinicians as a ‘cost’ factor that must be ‘managed’.

3) We will keep stakeholders informed on a regular basis through a Pamphlet called Chris Hani Bara Project Update

4) Wits School of Health Sciences (WSHS) has raised the question of the allocation of teaching funds, and concerns on student teacher ratios. This reflects an acute shortage of academic staff. In the long run this will affect production levels of health workers and quality thereof.
 * Furthermore;**

5) We established a Chris Hani Peoples Hospital Support Group. We will ensure that this is functional.

6) Faith based organizations raised question of Health Workers Forums in different denominations. We will find a way to interact on this.

Thanks again. It has been a pleasure to work with you on these important and complex issues that negatively affect public health service delivery to citizens. We think our knowledge and understanding of these issues has been enriched in the intense month of interaction and sharing of ideas!!!!

Forward With Public Service Delivery Forward!!!!

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GENERAL SECRETARY
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