Questions & Replies: Question & Replies No 2071 to 2100

• In 2009/10 fiscal year, the DNA conducted six provincial CDM awareness-raising workshops – North West, Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape Free State. Similar workshops will be conducted in the three remaining provinces – Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo – in this financial year.
• Two sector workshops ( renewable energy and carbon finance)
• As part of its promotional activities, the DNA is also producing CDM information booklets for role players and the public. This financial year, three CDM sector booklets were developed viz (a) Designated National Authority Guidance for applicants of CDM in South Africa, (b) CDM in the forestry sector, and (c) CDM in the Agricultural sector.

(3) There are a number of reasons why the pace of CDM project development in South Africa has not been as rapid as one might expect. These range from awareness of the need to respond to climate change and awareness of the CDM itself, to more specific reasons such as the suitability of project methodologies and the structure of the electricity market. Some of these reasons are intrinsic to the carbon market globally; for instance the whole CDM registration process is bureaucratic with high transaction costs – (feasibility study, project implementation costs) and uncertainties around the post 2012 regime when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO. 2084

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02 NOVEMBER 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 26)

Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

Whether his department has any strategy in place to deal with the impacts of climate change on the Aids pandemic; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

The evidence for the direct link between climate change and AIDS is tenuous – at the level of disease progression. However, it is well known that climate change will impact on the health of many populations especially in developing countries. This will of course include the AIDS pandemic. Climate change does have the potential to reduce water supply, increase temperatures, deepen poverty, and increase inequity in society - all of which will make already vulnerable people and their communities even more vulnerable.

In line with these observations, government as a whole, working with all other stakeholders, has a responsibility to deal with climate change. This government has made bold proposals to the conference on climate change that was hosted by Denmark during December 2009.

Official reply: 10 Dec. 09

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION 2081

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

Date of publication on internal question paper: 2 November 2009

Internal question paper no:

Mrs S P Kopane (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development:

(1) (a) How many older persons' homes are there in the country, (b) where is each such home located and (c) how many patients are currently accommodated in each home;

(2) whether all older persons' homes are registered with his department; if not, (a) why not and (b) which homes are not registered; if so, how many homes are registered (i) permanently and (ii) temporarily;

(3) whether all older persons' homes have been inspected to ensure that they meet minimum standards; if so, (a) when, (b) who conducted the inspection and (c) what are the minimum standards that each older persons' home must meet;

(4) whether any older persons' home has failed to meet the minimum standards; if so, (a) which homes and (b) what are the (i) results and (ii) penalties of failing to meet these standards;

(5) (a) what amount was allocated toward the funding of each public older persons' home (i) in the (aa) 2006-07, (bb) 2007-08 and (cc) 2008-09 financial years and (ii) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what is the (i) actual and (ii) optimal number of staff at each older persons' home with regard to (aa) social workers, (bb) auxiliary social workers, (cc) home-based caregivers and (dd) any other specified related caregivers? NW2736E

REPLY:

(1) (a) There are 502 residential facilities in the country.
(b) The following table illustrates the distribution of residential facilities

Additional Information:

(c) Refer to annexures for provincial data.

(2) Table 2: Registration status

Each province has compiled a table, table 2 to illustrate the registration status. Refer to annexures for provincial data.

(3) Table 3: Old age homes inspections

(4) Table 4: Old age homes that failed to meet minimum standards

(5)(a) Refer to annexure for provincial data

(5)(b) Refer to annexure for provincial data

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 2080

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 26-2009]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 November 2009

2080. Mr M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

Which criteria does his department apply when classifying an area as (a) rural or (b) urban? NW2735E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(a) & (b) Rurality refers to a way of life, a state of mind and a culture which revolves around land, livestock, cropping and community. Statistics South Africa (2009) defines 'rural' as farms and traditional areas characterised by low population densities, low levels of economic activity and low levels of infrastructure. The Rural Development Framework (RDF) released in 1997 defines rural areas as the sparsely populated areas in which people farm or depend on natural resources, including the villages and small towns that are dispersed through these areas. In addition, the RDF's definition includes the large settlements in the former homelands, created by the apartheid removals, which depend on migratory labour and remittances for their survival. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform favours the RDF's definition and extends the definition to include areas of high poverty and limited capacity which includes the conventional rural communities, peri-urban areas and "small rural towns".

WRITTEN REPLY

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 26-2009]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 November 2009

2079. Mr M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

Whether his department has drawn up a framework to revise the current lease revenue management system; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2734E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

Yes. A framework was developed to review the lease revenue management system. The spatial module of the system is fully operational and contracts are captured by Provincial Rural Development and Land Reform Offices. The finance module was tested on 6, 19 & 31 August 2009 and 29 & 30 October 2009. The re-testing is scheduled to take place before the end of December 2009. The service provider has been appointed with effect from 7 December 2009 to conduct an independent review of lease receivables in order to clear the audit qualification.

QUESTION 2078

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 26-2009]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 November 2009

2078. Mr M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) What were the findings of the independent audit into the irregularities with the purchase of (a) Gorah farm and (b) Cornucopia;

(2) whether his department has instituted criminal proceedings against the officials responsible for the fruitless and wasteful expenditure at Gorah Farm and Cornucopia; if not, why now; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2733E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1)(a)-(b) Please refer to Annexures A and B which contain the audit findings with regard to the purchase of the Gorah farm and Cornucopia respectively.

(2) No. The forensic investigation reports were submitted to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) on 29 July and 6 August 2009 respectively. The DRDLR has commenced with disciplinary enquiries against the relevant officials. The intention of the DRDLR is to report these matters to the South African Police Service once the disciplinary enquiries have been finalised.

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO. 2077

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02 NOVEMBER 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 26)

Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) (a) How many intensive care units (ICU) are there in each province, (b) where are they situated, (c) how many (i) beds does each unit accommodate and (ii) nurses work at each unit and (c) what is the nurse/patient ratio for each unit;

(2) whether all ICU (a) nursing managers and (b) nurses working in the ICU had ICU training; if not, (i) why not and (ii) how many have not received such training in each case?

REPLY:

The following information was obtained from the Provinces

EASTERN CAPE

(1) (a) There are 11 ICU units in the Province

(2) The following table reflects the situation in this regard

FREE STATE

The Free State Department of Health has One (1) Academic Hospital and five (5) Regional hospitals with ICUs. The status of each hospital ICU has been highlighted in the following table:-

(2)

Pelonomi Intensive Care Unit is undergoing revitalization project (24 hours project). A 32 bedded unit in the ultimate end will be established. The current area serves as a temporary accommodation for ICU.

Universitas

1. Most of the Operational Managers were appointed a long time ago as Unit Managers and were therefore simply translated to Operational Managers when the change took place. We must remember that in the old dispensation, experience in ICU rather than a qualification in Critical was used as the inherent requirement. Equally a qualification in Healthcare Management Nursing was not seen as essential for appointment as a Unit Manager, and still is with OSD;

2. Some of our Managers are in an aging category and therefore see no incentive in further studies especially in Critical Care or Healthcare Management;

3. Trained staff turnover is a serious limitation in maximising the numbers of trained staff. In real terms, units are abound with experienced staff and therefore this limitation is mitigated to some extent;

4. Shortage of staff or lack of funds to reappoint staff as they leave puts a serious dent on our ability to allow more staff to go on study leave. In the past we could send up to three people in one unit to study but next year for instance this number has been curtailed to only one per department and we may have to cut even further in future if the status quo remains;

5. In Peads and Adult Cardiology units there are no managers appointed in line with OSD requirements. Junior officials (PNB 1) take charge of the units purely on the basis that they want to gain experience. At the time the institution has taken a decision not to upgrade these positions to appoint Operational Managers to run these cost centres that are quite expensive;

6. At this time we experience severe staff limitations in Neonatal, Renal and Cardiothoracic units especially on night duty. This situation is most serious whenever most of the units are working on full capacity. We simply do not have the reserve to cope with the demands when that happens;

7. The fact that in more than half of the ICU departments have been without ward clerks for more than 2years to support nurse managers with administrative work means more nursing staff have to be diverted to non nursing work which leads to more strain on limited nursing resources;

8. It is clear when you look in the ICU staff constituency that the numbers of personnel can be improved by dilution of the high concentration of sisters with staff nurses and assistant nurses. We have so far suggested that the number of trained professional nurses be capped 45%, untrained 20% and 35% comprise both staff nurses and assistant nurses. This way your experienced staff can be used for complicated work and the supporting staff for the less complicated work.

KWAZULU/NATAL

(1) (a) Number of Intensive Care Units in KwaZulu Natal is 29 which are provided in 16 Hospitals.

A number of Hospitals have more than one Unit to accommodate specialties e.g. neonatal, paediatrics, surgical and medical.

(b) The situation, number of units, beds and staffing ratio's is illustrated in the column below:

The norm that is utilized is 5 nursing units per 1 ICU bed.

The ratio in KwaZulu Natal has been calculated to include Professional Nurses and Other categories of Nurses.

The average ratio in KwaZulu Natal is 0.7 Nursing units per ICU bed.

(2) (a) All nurse managers in ICU Units are trained in ICU, the only exception is in Ladysmith Hospital.

(b) The number of Professional Nurses working in ICU Units is 749, of this number only 472 are trained which reflects an average of 63%.

The percentage includes Professional Nurses who have a qualification in Intensive Care Nursing or Advance Midwifery (for Neonatal Units).

The Province should have 1235 posts filled with adequately trained Professional Nurses in order to meet the required number of 5 posts per 1 ICU bed to reach the required nurse to patient ratio.

The Natal College of Nursing provides training for the qualification in ICU and has 2 intakes per annum of 25 students per intake.

The College also provides training for the qualification in Advanced Midwifery and has 2 intakes per annum of 25 students per intake.

Staff attrition is causing a high turnover which results in annual losses of Intensive Care Nurses. The OSD has assisted in improving this, however this category of scarce skills is highly sought after by the private sector.

The course accommodates staff who has not had an opportunity to attend the full time course in the Province.

There are no specialised courses for staff nurses or enrolled nursing assistants.

A large number of Professional and other categories of nurses have had many years of experience in ICU and provide a high standard of technical nursing care.

The "New" Nursing Act (2005). The regulations to provide training for Enrolled nurses to be formally trained in Intensive Care Nursing techniques are being finalized by South African Nursing Council.

Hospitals are actively encouraging Professional Nurses to undertake training, however the financial constraints and attrition of staff limits the number of Professional Nurses that each hospital can release for training at one time.

The Province provides ongoing in-service training in special skills e.g. suction techniques for neonatal patients.

LIMPOPO

(1) (a) The following table reflects the situation in this regard:

(2) The following table reflects the situation in this regard

MPUMALANGA

(1) (a) There are no ICUs in hospitals in the Province except at the following:

NORTHERN CAPE

Kimberley Hospital is the only hospital in the Northern Cape Province with three Intensive Care Units, namely

(1) (a) Number of Intensive Care Units = 3

· Closed Adult Intensive Care Unit (one of about 10 in the country)

· Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

· Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

(b) Kimberley Hospital

(c) (i) Number of beds

· Adult = 10 beds

· Paediatric = 6 beds

· Neonatal = 5 beds

(ii) Total number of nurses working in each unit

· Adult ICU = 23

· Paediatric ICU = 12

· Neonatal ICU = 10

(d) Nurse/patient ratio in each unit

· Adult ICU = 1:1.7

· Paediatric ICU = 1:3

· Neonatal ICU = 1:3

(2) (a) ICU Trained Managers

· Adult ICU = No

· Paediatric ICU = No

· Neonatal ICU = Yes (Neonatology)

(b) ICU Trained Nurses

· Adult ICU = 7 (Critical Care)

· Paediatric ICU = 2 (Child Health)

· Neonatal ICU = 1 (Neonatology)

(i) Training plan for all the units are in place with one Professional Nurse per unit identified for training per year.

(ii) Number of Nurses not ICU trained

· Adult ICU = 17

· Paediatric ICU = 10

· Neonatal ICU = 9

WESTERN CAPE

(1) (a) There are three Intensive Care Units (ICU's) in the Province.

(b) They are situated at the level 3 tertiary Hospitals at Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital, Tygerberg Hospital and the Groote Schuur Hospital.

(c) Information is as follows

Red Cross Hospital

(i) No. of ICU Beds: 20 beds open

(ii) No. of Nurses: Professional Nurses: 53; Staff Nurses: 10; and Auxiliary Nurses: 28

(d) Ratio of Nurses to patients: 1 Professional Nurse and 1 Staff Nurse/Assistant. One nurse is assigned for every 2 patients.

(2) (a) Nursing Managers: Both Assistant Manager and Operational Manager are ICU trained.

(b) Professional Nurses at present 40% of PN's are ICU trained. A further 6 are currently (2009) in training and another 5 will train in 2010.

(i) Not applicable;

(ii) Therefore in 2010 the percentage of trained ICU PN's will increase to 50%.

In order to continue to provide the ICU services operationally we can only send a proportion of staff each year and still continue to be fully operational. Trained ICU staff are in short supply and sought after both within South Africa and Internationally so we continue to loose trained staff each year. This is even more marked in pediatrics as the pool of trained pediatric ICU staff is very limited.

Tygerberg Hospital

(1) (i) 8 x ICU units

(ii) 70 x High Care beds

Number of ICU beds in each unit + nurses work in each unit:

Staff needed 24 hours Staff available 24 hours

(Day + Night) (Day + Night)

PRN SN NA Total PRN SN NA Total

A1 West Surgical x 10 beds 20 4 4 28 16 4 4 24

A1 East Burns x 6 beds 8 8 8 24 8 4 8 20

A2 Cardiothorasic x 8 beds 24 4 4 32 16 8 4 28

A4 Neuro x 10 beds 16 8 0 24 12 4 0 16

A5 Medical/Respiratory x 7 16 4 4 24 12 0 4 16

A6 Cardiology x 8 beds 16 0 0 16 12 0 0 12

A7 Nephrology x 4 beds 8 4 0 12 4 4 0 8

A9 Paediatrics x 6 beds 12 4 4 20 8 0 8 16

A9 Neonatology x 8 beds 14 4 4 22 6 4 4 18

High Care beds :

A1 West Surgical x 2 beds 4 4 4 12 0 4 4 8

A1 East Burns x 16 beds 6 8 8 22 4 4 8 16

A2 Cardiothorasic x 6 beds 8 4 4 16 8 2 4 14

A4 Neuro x 20 beds 4 4 16 24 4 4 8 16

A5 Medical/Respiratory x 13 8 4 12 24 4 4 12 20

A6 Cardiology x 14 beds 8 4 12 24 4 4 12 20

A7 Nephrology x 9 beds 4 4 8 16 4 0 8 12

C2A Labour/Maternity x 4 8 4 0 12 8 4 0 12

A9 Paediatrics x 10 tracheas 4 8 8 20 4 8 0 12

A9 Paediatrics x 2 4 4 4 12 4 4 0 8

(c) Nurse/patient ratio for each unit: Professional Nurses 1:2 (1 Professional Nurse per 2 patients for ventilated or critical patients and depending on the acuity of patients). Other categories of nurses (Staff Nurses and Auxilliary Nurses) average Nurses to Patients 1 nurse to 6 patients.

(2) (a) and (b) The number of trained Professional Nurses needed are not available to appoint. New appointments have to be made (at times with untrained staff) to fill vacant posts in order to cope with the patient load. Replacement trained staff is not available to send nurses for training courses. The services have to cope without nurses on training courses. Staff Nurses and Nurse Auxiliaries do not have specific ICU courses and deliver a support function to the Professional Nurses in ICU's.

(ii) Professional Nurses x 81 out of a total number of 144 working in the ICU's; Staff Nurses x 68 and Nurse Auxiliaries x 100.

Groote Schuur Hospital

RN – Registered Nurses

EN/ENA – Enrolled Nurses; Enrolled Nurse Assistants

Registered Nurses in the Units are supported by the EN/ ENA'a for the patient care. 30% of Registered Nurses are from the Nurse Agency Services.

(a) Nurse Manager: Critical Care Diploma and Nurse Management Qualifications; Operational Managers in Charge of the above Units: all have the Diploma in Critical Care; 30% of them have the qualification in nursing management.

(b) Nurses working in ICU Units: approximately 20% of staff has the Diploma in Critical Care – they are strategically placed.

(i) The majority of staff working in the Units have gained clinical skills and experience (+/ - 10 years) in the Units although they have not completed the Diploma. There is a constant motivation for staff to complete the course but some staff opted not to.

(ii) Community Service Nurses and new appointments to Nursing Critical (approx 30%) care come without the exposure or experience.

GSH – Critical Care has a dedicated mentor who arranges weekly in service training and evaluations. 7. For Critical Care Diploma Training we are aligned to the training providers: Western Cape Collage of Nursing and University of Stellenbosch (both provide 1 year training).

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO. 2076

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02 NOVEMBER 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 26)

Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

Whether his department has investigated the possibility of declaring foetal alcohol syndrome as a notifiable disease; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

The Department has observed an increasing trend in relation to foetal alcohol syndrome especially in the Western Cape Province and other provinces. The step that the Department is considering is to calculate the attributable risk and threshold levels (i.e. if the numbers of cases exceed an agreed level per 100 000 population) in order to come to a scientifically informed decision to make Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and "Notifiable" or "Reportable" condition, as is it was the case with Maternal Mortality.

(a) At the present this particular medical condition (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome) does not conform to being a Notifiable Medical Condition.

(b) The standard criteria used to make medical condition or health event Notifiable are:

1. Its potential to cause an outbreak or epidemic-prone characteristics that can cause a national or international public health emergency;

2. The Notifiable Medical Condition causative agent has a potential for human to human spread, in case of virulent viruses or bacteria may mutate and become an drug resistance;

3. The pathogens usually have a very high transmission potential (air-borne e.g. TB, VHF, pneumonia plague etc); a high fatality rate in a short incubation period (e.g. Cholera, SARS, H5NI, VHF, Rabies) and my lead to a unacceptable high mortality rate (e.g. AIDS) of public significance; there may also be no available effective treatment available for those affected;

4. The emergency may be declared Notifiable by WHO according to the International Health Regulations where the disease could pose an international public health emergency.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 2073

(Internal Question Paper No 29 - 2009)

Mrs M Wenger (DA) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

What action will the Government take regarding the 64 ineffectual municipalities? NW2727E

Answer

The 64 municipalities form part of the basket of municipalities that will receive continued capacity building support in line with Section 154 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The areas of ineffectiveness have been identified as part of Local Government Assessment process and through the National Treasury monitoring reports. In order to address among other the ineffectiveness of municipalities, a Turn Around Strategy and implementation plan has been developed and approved for implementation by Cabinet on the 02 December 2009.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NUMBER 2071
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 NOVEMBER 2009

Mr M Swart (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:

Whether the Government has received any requests from the information technology sector for tax relief after the workshop held by Cape Silicon during October 2009; if so, what are the
relevant details?

REPLY:

No. The National Treasury has not received any formal request in this regard.

QUESTION 2083

DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 06 NOVEMBER 2009 [IQP No 27 -2009]

FIRST SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 2083 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr Mr P J C Pretorius (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

What (a) the fisheries component of her department entails and (b) percentage of the total fish production it represents? NW2739E

REPLY

(a) The component of fisheries administered by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at this point is aquaculture and it is made up of marine and freshwater aquaculture.

(b) Aquaculture represents about 0.6% of the total fisheries production. In 2008 the total fisheries production was about 650 000 tons and aquaculture production was 3 600 tons.