Pretoria - A Ministerial Task Team, established to investigate allegations levelled against the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), has found that the organisation has failed to provide leadership and guidance to the health profession on a number of issues.
Established in March, the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) investigated allegations of administrative irregularities, mismanagement and poor governance at the HPCSA.
Health Minister Aaron Motsaoledi on Thursday released the findings of the investigations to media gathered in Pretoria. He said the task team had made recommendations that accommodates both the previous and incoming council of the organisation.
Reading the executive summary of the 90-page report, the Minister said the task team was initially given 60 days to complete its work, however, this was extended to six months due to the high work load.
The report still has to be scrutinised by the new council and will be made available once the council has done so.
The Minister said the task team found the HPCSA to be in a state of multi-system organisational dysfunction, which resulted in the failure of the organisation to deliver effectively and efficiently on its primary objects and functions, in terms of the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974.
“There is lack of coherence and cohesion … it is the view of the MTT that the best interests of the health system are not served by the current structure and organisation of the HPCSA,” said Minister Motsoaledi.
The HPCSA was recently accused of poor communication with health professionals, excessive delays in processing applications, registration rules that discriminate against foreign-qualified practitioners from developing countries, and failure to respond meaningfully to questions from the public.
Following the investigation, Minister Motsoaledi said there was evidence of administrative irregularities, mismanagement and poor governance at the HPCSA which was documented in the forensic investigation undertaken by the KPMG in 2011 on the procurement procedures followed in the acquisition of the ORACLE information system.
“The forensic investigation had found that a former Chief Executive Officer or Registrar and executive committee of the council of the HPCSA approved a contract which eventually cost over R30 million without following tender procedures, and thus appointed a contract company in an irregular manner,” he said.
Among the other findings stipulated in the report, it was found that both the internal and external stakeholders as well as documents reviewed identify the failure of the CEO or Registrar to perform to the required standard in the majority of key functions.
“These includes the recruitment and management of staff to ensure an effective and sufficient administration of HPCSA policies and procedures; maintenance of sound public relations with stakeholders and ensuring that service delivery processes are in line with the Batho Pele principles,” said the Minister.
He said the HPCSA had a severe structural deficit that contributed to its dysfunction. The task team recommended the Minister takes measures to address serious deficits in the health system.
The task team recommended that the Minister should, after consultation with the council of the HPCSA, institute appropriate disciplinary and incapacity proceedings against the CEO or Registrar, and should consider her suspension pending the completion of these proceedings.
The Chief Operations Officer (COO) has also been implicated in acts of unauthorised, irregular and/or fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the matter relating to the ORACLE information communication technology system, which remain unresolved.
“MTT therefore recommends that the council of the HPCSA should institute appropriate disciplinary and incapacity proceedings against the COO, and should consider his suspension pending the completion of these proceedings,” said the Minister.
The task team is of the view that the General Manager of Legal Services at the organisation should be dealt with on the same basis as the CEO/Registrar and COO.
Minister Motsoaledi said the time had come to review the value of the HPCSA after 15 years of its establishment.
The task team recommended that the unbundling of the HPCSA into at least two entities - the historic Medical and Dental Council and the Health and Rehabilitation Council - be considered. - SAnews.gov.za
