The Public Service Accountability Monitor has issued a report on the Eastern Cape Department of Health's antiretroviral treatment plan focused on the Midland Hospital ARV Clinic.  The report critically examines the EC's plan for scaling up ARV treatment, the insufficiency of the 2007/2008 budget allocation, the failure's of the EC Department of Health to develop proper financial plans and records, critical shortages of medical personnel, and concerns surrounding transportation and access to clinics.

Endorse memorandum of concerned pediatricians and health care workers. This memorandum is being circulated through the Concerned Paediatricians Group (a group of paediatric HIV treaters around the country) and other people / organisations / societies / associations involved in public health / child health / maternal health /  sister organisations. 
 

The government is pursuing Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, the former Deputy Minister of Health, for the expense of her trip to the International Vaccine Conference, are withholding a salary lawfully due to her in lieu of that ‘debt’ and have demanded that she pays for rent due for the use of ministerial accommodation since 2001. These actions are vindictive and intended to humiliate her. 
 

The Department of Health issued draft nursing council regulations on 12 July 2007. The ALP made a submission on 28 September 2007 that addresses our concerns with the regulations. In particular, the proposed regulations severely restrict the nomination process proscribed in the Nursing Act 33 of 2005 for members of the South African Nursing Council by specifying certain organizations who will be permitted to submit nominations, rather than the public nominations process envisioned by the Nursing Act, by only accepting nominations for "community representatives" from Members of the Executive Council, and by allowing the Minister to appoint persons who were not nominated, even if nominations of qualified individuals were made.

Parliament has appointed an independent panes to assess Parliament's achievements and challenges in several areas. The ALP and TAC made a submission on 23 October, 2007 detailing our experience interacting with Parliamentary committees and laying out the legal obligations of Parliament with regard to oversight of the executive branch. In particular, the submission addresses:

    * whether Parliament adequately scrutinizes and oversees Executive
      action and provides a national forum for public consideration of
      issues

    * whether Members of the Cabinet are accountable collectively and
      individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and
      the performance of their functions

    * the extent to which there is cooperation with other organs of
      state and also to which Parliament assists in maintaining and
      guarding the independence of the legislature.

To read the discussion paper, Encouraging Deadly Choices: AIDS
Pseudo-Science In The Media,  by Nathan Geffen click here.