Pretoria - New measures are to be introduced to curb overspending in the Gauteng Health and Social Development Department.
Newly appointed MEC Ntombi Mekgwe said hospital managers would now have to closely monitor the payment of overtime, ordering of laboratory tests and blood products to keep the department's books balanced.
"Financial management is one critical area that ... needs to be improved. The health division overspent its budget in the last financial year and there was under-expenditure in the social services division," said Mekgwe during a media briefing on Tuesday.
The over-expenditure has been attributed to increased costs of medical supplies, laboratory, blood and blood products.
Overtime payments and the implementation of the occupation specific dispensation for doctors and nurses are some of the contributing factors as well.
With regard to the filling of posts, the MEC said hospital managers will from now on be required to motivate the need for additional staff to the head of department.
"Delegations for the appointment of staff at hospital level will be withdrawn," she said.
Mekgwe also announced that the HIV counselling and testing (HCT) campaign was making a significant impact. The department had managed to test 909 076 people from April to September.
The number of people on anti-retroviral treatment had increased from 303 677 to 330 692 in the same period.
The HCT campaign will be scaled up in the build up to World Aids Day, with visits to industrial areas, informal settlements and shopping malls
