The Gauteng Department of Health (GDH) has noted the memorandum delivered today by the Treatment Action Campaign at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature during a march/picket.



The department would like to reiterate its commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure delivery of quality health care services in the province. As a sign of its commitment, the department together the National Department signed a Development Accord with the University of Witwatersrand to address health delivery challenges including the provision of essential equipment and life-saving medicines.




The Accord supports the contents of the Enhanced Implementation Plan which recognises the efforts of the National Department of Health and the Gauteng Department of Health in implementing the 2012-14 Turn Around Strategy in Gauteng.

We further wish to state that as part of the Turnaround Strategy and the implementation of the Enhancement Plan, the department has prioritised building of management capacity in the 20 biggest hospitals (Central, Tertiary, Regional and specialised facilities) in the province to receive 70% of essential medicines directly from suppliers.

This will free the depots to deliver more effectively to districts hospitals and primary health care facilities.

Currently the department is providing computers and software to monitor daily stock levels at the 20 hospitals.

To further improve the availability of medicines, managers at district level have to implement stock management systems at all facilities. They will also be required to deploy a dedicated person to maintain optimum stock levels.



The department has put in place an electronic ordering system to improve efficiency in the ordering of medicines by the districts. The capacity to receive stock has been improved especially in Ekurhuleni through opening a depot at the old Germiston Hospital to store and distribute anti-retroviral drugs to the clinics in the district.

The department will look into all the matters raised in the by TAC in the memorandum and a detailed response will be provided within the specified time frames.