Provincial EMS College ready to provide training

Tabling a R19,5 billion budget vote for the 2018/19 financial year at the Legislative chamber last Tuesday, Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba told the house that only 26 out of 2 024 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are advanced life supporters while 1 200 are basic life supporters also known as Basic Ambulance Assistants (BAAs).
She revealed that the provincial EMS College situated at Pietersburg Provincial Hospital is ready to provide training for the intermediate life support course and reiterated that the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) will visit the department today (Thursday) and tomorrow for final assessment and accreditation. Ramathuba said at the end of this exercise, all the qualifying BAAs will be trained as either intermediate life supporters or advanced life supporters.
“Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) funding has been secured for this purpose, and also we are twinning with University of Limpopo, Mpumalanga EMS College for some of these training in order to catch up with these numbers. To this end we have put aside an amount of R736 million for the running of EMS in the province,” she said.
She added that five BAAs have been taken to institutions of higher learning in other provinces to study towards a Bachelor of Health Science in Emergency Care while another five will be funded this financial year. She indicated that the 2018/19 budget consists of R16,6 billion equitable share, R2,7 billion conditional grants and R168 million own revenue. The budget has been allocated to fund key priorities being District Health Services (Primary Healthcare) and district hospital delivery systems at a tune of R10,5 billion and this is 54% of the total budget.
Ramathuba emphasised that R2,5 billion has been allocated for regional and psychiatric hospitals while an amount of R68 million has been allocated towards the support of home-based carers. The department wants to collect R168 million in the 2018/19 financial year. This is 8% reduction from the current target of R182 million which is attributed to the increased number of patients that qualify for subsidy.
Human Papilloma virus
Human Papillomavirus Grant of R27 million has now been decentralised to the province to speed up the vaccination of young girls in public and special schools to prevent mortality associated with cervical cancer in the future. Ramathuba said despite free access to this life saving vaccine at a cost of R800 per dose, there are many parents who still refuse to give consent in order for their children to be vaccinated.
Tuberculosis and Malaria
The department has budgeted R42 million towards Tuberculosis programme while an amount of R96,7 million has been provided to prevent and control malaria in the affected areas such as the Sekhukhune and Waterberg districts. She said rains in the midst of a devastating drought has resulted in malaria upsurge last year and this situation necessitated for an additional
R11,8 million in the previous financial year to procure chemicals, treatment, malaria tests and to employ 342 seasonal spray workers.
Pharmaceutical services
Ramathuba said in order to improve the stock level in clinics, health centres and hospitals, the medicine allocation is increased by 17% to
R1,6 billion. This includes an amount of R635 mil-
lion for the provision of antiretroviral drugs to HIV positive patients and new intake, and R205 mil­lion for vaccines to reduce infant and child mortality.
Health infrastructure
An amount of R537 million has been allocated to health facilities revitalisation programme. This allocation will be used mainly for hospital revitalisation programmes and completion of projects which are already underway, she stated.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za