Hon House Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, my neighbour went to the clinic in my local village. When she returned, at about 16h00, she informed me that the nurse was rude to her. I went to the clinic and as I got out of my car at the clinic gate, one teenager, with a baby on her back, told me that she had been told that the medication for her child had not been delivered because it was out of stock at the provincial depot. In one corner there was a hawker who sells fruit at the clinic. She joined in the conversation and told me that she had overheard the nurses telling each other that they had run out of gloves and were forced to improvise when treating patients.
My illustration is an example of what many South Africans go through every day when they visit the health facilities. In turn, nursing staff members face similar problems when treating patients. This means that there is a vicious cycle of "each one blames one". We cannot sit and watch this situation happen before us, just hoping that, between the patient and the nurse, one of them must be rational and understand and accept the situation as it is.
As the hon members would know, in the vicious cycle that I am talking about it is only the poor who are given the short end of the stick. They are given a raw deal because they do not have as many options as you and I who are sitting here today. They are stuck with the situation. This may not be the case in this country today.
When I was going through that mental and emotional exercise, I was reminded that the National Health Amendment Bill was in circulation for public comment and would be debated soon. That gave me hope. This Bill is a window of opportunity for us to invest our energies in ensuring that it is passed into law so that things can change.
We must accelerate this Bill so that future generations can inherit a health service that is under scrutiny and constant assessment for quality compliance. We cannot afford to hand over a badly run and badly maintained health service to our children.
As I say this, I am reminded of a song that I heard being played by some boys in our township. It goes, "Every generation blames the one before." When I remember this song - I do not even know the singer - I say that I certainly do not want to be part of the generation that will be blamed by the coming generation. That is why I am excited to be part of this debate, which will establish the Office of Health Standards Compliance.
The Bill has indeed come at the right time because through it our people will be able to enjoy the full rights of access to health services, as enshrined in the Constitution. They will enjoy the benefits of this hard- earned democracy, for which millions of our people were tortured and some even killed.
When I went through the Bill, I was struck by a few points that I would like to highlight in this House. I was struck by the fact that the department is serious about improving the lives of the people by improving the manner in which they are cared for when they visit the health centres. The Bill will establish the Office of Health Standards Compliance, which will be the custodian of quality health care. This office will surely go a long way towards ensuring that the public health facilities are compliant with the norms and standards. It is my belief that the OHSC will be central in ensuring that the dignity of our people is restored.
It is my wish that this office must indeed live up to the expectation of many South Africans because it holds the key to hope for the people who lost it during the unacceptable conditions under which they were treated. We cannot afford to have a situation where everyone is a law unto themselves.
Nako ya kwa ga Mmapereko; kwa go ikapeelwang ka moteme teng, e tla fela. [The time for selfishness where everyone is a law unto themselves will come to an end.]
The fact that this office will be outside the influence of the department is reassuring. I know for sure that the office shall not be seen to be in conflict with itself because it will be free from undue influence and pressure. It is my wish that the board that will be appointed should be independent - the Minister should not be called in every now and then to come to the rescue of a CEO who is under fire from the board. We need a board that knows what to do; that does not only do what the CEO says. And we need a CEO who does not only do what the board says.
I want to believe that the appointment of the health officers and inspectors will be yet another guarantee that the work of the Office of Health Standards Compliance will be carried out by professionals who have been trained in the field. I am certain that we have many people who have graduated from universities and will be able to do a professional job.
In order to strengthen the situation, the department should ensure the following: the appointment of competent hospital and district managers; the training of those managers that need further capacity to deliver; the revitalisation of health structures, with specific focus on primary health care facilities, which is where patients will be expected to start; the improvement of the drug supply to the facilities, especially those in far- flung parts of the country; the prioritisation of primary health care facilities when employing doctors and nurses; that all health facilities have essential equipment; the appointment of infection-control nurses for all facilities, especially the primary health care facilities; and that all facilities have maintenance officers, cleaners and admin clerks.
We are confident that the Bill will be one of the best pieces of legislation that we have had in this House. It will be the best in terms of its purpose and the many potential benefits of its implementation, as well as the manner in which it will accelerate the department's successful implementation of the National Health Insurance. The ANC supports the Bill.