Cash-strapped Limpopo Health Department returns R71 million in conditional grant funding
The DA in Limpopo has written to Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba to provide reasons why the department was unable to spend its conditional grant funding and what measures will be put in place to prevent this.
The department surrendered R71.3 million in conditional grants despite already having rollovers amounting to R4.447 billion; this seems to indicate ineffective expenditure management.
The conditional grant funding surrendered was from the following grants:
Comprehensive HIV and AIDS grant – R45.5 million;
HR capacitation grant – R22.5 million;
National Tertiary Service Grant – R2. 176 million; and
National Health insurance Grant – R 261 000.
These conditional grants are transfers to provincial governments that can only be used for a specific predetermined purpose, and these surrendered amounts will have a tremendous impact on the delivery of health services in the province.
The DA has also written to Premier Stan Mathabatha to provide details of consequence management steps that will be taken against the officials responsible for failing to spend this conditional grant funding. It is Mathabatha’s duty to monitor spending in his departments and ensure there is accountability for the under-expenditure of grants.
The DA will continue to put pressure on the health department to ensure that all available funding is used for residents to get the best possible health services
