The performance record of the Gauteng Shared Service Centre : a focus on the Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region

Abstract

The procurement of goods and services in South Africa has had a history of being organized haphazardly, and fraught with problems of prices being inflated, goods and services taking longer to be procured, orders for goods and services not followed up, purchases of medical equipments for health facilities were not carried out due to the lack of planning or instructions to ensure that proper procurement procedures were followed, lack of synergy between the provisioning section and clinical support section; which often leads to communication breakdown between the relevant stakeholders. Government, through the policy-making process has to regulate the rendering of health services in order to unify the fragmented health services at all levels into a comprehensive and integrated National Health System (NHS) in order to reduce disparities and inequities in health service delivery which were created by the legacy of apartheid policies, and to increase improved access and integrated health services. Government intervened through the Gauteng Department of Health by establishing a District Health System as the building block of the National Health System in South Africa. The health district was therefore going to be the vehicle through which comprehensive primary health care services will be rendered. For the purpose of this study the hypothesis that the Government established the GSSC as a pilot procurement project in Gauteng for the procurement of goods and services, has performed creditably and effectively and justifies the creation of similar institutions in other provinces was constructed. Even though the procurement of goods and services had migrated to the GSSC, problems were still experienced due to the fact that service level agreements were not adhered to, by GSSC and the entities themselves. In pursuance for search of answers for the hypothesis, literature study was used to trace the historical background of the procurement of goods and services prior to 1994 in South Africa, and to analyse the intricacies in the art of policy-making. These were further developed by an empirical study that confirmed policy-making processes in public policy; amongst others. The apparent delays in the procurement of good and services, was beginning to become a stumbling block in the rendering of health services. The process of the establishment of the Gauteng Shared Service Centre, was a function of interaction between Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH), and involved a number of stakeholders namely: Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region, Hospitals and procurement practitioners within Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region. The entralization of procurement processes to GSSC has not been good enough as an effective tool to minimize the lead time for the procurement of goods for Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region. The study concludes with recommendations for the GSSC, Gauteng Department of Health, and Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region for action; and for further research. The apparent delays in the procurement of good and services, was beginning to become a stumbling block in the rendering of health services. The process of the establishment of the Gauteng Shared Service Centre, was a function of interaction between Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH), and involved a number of stakeholders namely: Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region, Hospitals and procurement practitioners within Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region. The entralization of procurement processes to GSSC has not been good enough as an effective tool to minimize the lead time for the procurement of goods for Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region. The study concludes with recommendations for the GSSC, Gauteng Department of Health, and Ekurhuleni-Sedibeng health region for action; and for further research.