Free State Health opts to spend millions on digitization instead of interns, for free

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – The staff at the Department of Health in Free State is divided on the rollout of patient digitization.

This follows the announcement by Ketso Makume, Deputy Chairperson of the Free State ANC on Saturday during the 2019 ANC manifesto review.

Makume said the department is digitizing chronic patient files and that raised an eyebrow as we had, in June asked the department about this and how much has the department paid as at the time, only National Hospital was using the services of an external company, and paid over R900 000.

Step UP News has it on good authority that during the quarter review held on Tuesday in Welkom, an official from skills development unit had proposed the digitization be done by interns as that would save the department money considering it will take between 12 -24 months to complete the process, however, this was allegedly shut down by MEC Mathabo Leeto according to sources.

Leeto is alleged to have told those in attendance that she had spoken to the service provider much to the shock of staff as to why would the MEC talk to the contractor but this is a norm in Free State.

It has happened at Police, Roads, and Transport when MEC MaQueen Mathae met the contractors with sources alleging she threatened to cancel their contracts if they didn’t plow back to their communities, it also happened at Education with MEC Makalo.

MaLeeto while addressing the ANC Women’s League delegates said Free State Health employees are refusing to do door-to-door and branch delegates must be hired.

That was after she instructed Fikizolo to halt level 1-8 vacancies, a move many viewed as a ploy to hire voting cows as it happens with EPWP.

In a twist of events, the department has appointed a Chief Director hardly a week after the interviews and according to a PEC member who attended the meeting , the appointment is part of gender equity and transformation.

Last year in July the now Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, former Premier Sefora Ntombela met with a Mosa Masemene and businessman in his house in Sandton prior her appointment as Human Settlement HoD as previously reported, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The department has taken a decision not to respond to our inquiries.

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