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Women in Healthcare

Interview: Dr Sibongile Zungu 

Head Of Department of Health KZN

DrSibongileZungu,HeadoftheDepartmentofHealth
KwaZulu-Natal(KZN),hasbeenattherealmofthehealthcare
servicesinKZNduringsomeofitsmostchallengingyears.
RavagedbyHIV/AIDS,theprovincehasbeenreferredtoas
beingthe‘EpicentreoftheEpidemic’.Ithasahigher
prevalenceofHIVthananyotherprovinceinSouthAfrica,
coupledwithdebilitatinghighratesofunemploymentand
povertyaswell.

WhatisrequiredtostrengthenourpublicHealthcare
sector?DrZunguhighlightedtheneedforbetterhealth
information,onthelocalpopulationstructure,geographical
distributionanddiseasetrends.Shesaid,“Thisinformationis
neededtoensurethattheplanningofservicedeliveryand
allocationoflimitedresourcescanbematchedtothe
healthcareneedsofthepopulation”.

ShealsodiscussedhowtheProvincialhealthservicesare
currentlyplanningcarefullyforthefuturehuman
resourcesrequirementsforthehealthcaresectorandare
exploringnewmodelsoftaskshifting.Sheadvisedthat
nursesareperfectlycapableofeffectivelydispensing
antiretrovirals,runningHIVdiseasemanagementprograms
andperformingmanyotherfunctionsthatwerepreviously
withinthedomainofdoctors.Similarly,therearemanyduties
whichnursesarecurrentlyperformingthatcouldbepassed
ontonursingassistants.

Yourfocus?DrZungusharedthatherfocusisonbuildinga
strategythatmanagestheimmediatehealthcareconcerns
suchasinfectiousdiseasesandmalnutrition,butatthesame
timelaysthetrackstomanagetheemergingepidemicsof
non-communicable

diseases,

such

as

diabetes

and

hypertension.Shestronglybelievesthatself-careshouldbe
aggressivelypromotedamongstSouthAfricansandsheis
adamantthathealthawarenessmuststartatschools.

Sheisalsohopefulthateventuallythepublicwillchangetheir
perceptiontowardsthepublicsectorhealthcareservices.

“Mybiggestfearisaboutthenegativepublicitythis
sectorreceives,andthedecreasingconfidencethatthe
publichasinthepublicsector,”shelamented.“Isee
peoplewhodon’thavemuchmoney,optingforthe
privatesector,wastingtheirtime,tryingtoaccumulate
moneyinordertobeabletodoso,whentheycanjust
walkintoaclinicandgetassistance.”

“Mysecondfearisabouttherisingcostoflitigation.If
somethinggoeswrong,howcanweinfluencepolicyso
thatifthestatemakesamistake,thenitmustlookafter

thatchild,sothatthoseresourceswhichwouldotherwise
havebeenawardedcanbesharedamongstallchildren
whohavethatcondition.Atthemomentwearefaced
withasituationwherewearecarryingR1.1billionworth
oflitigation.Ifabilliongoestolitigationhowdowetake
careofthoseotherchildren?”

DrZungustatedthatthegreatestbarrierswhichlieaheadof
thehealthcaresystemincludetheinequalitiesindistribution
ofhealthservicesbetweenurbanandruralareas,thelimited
accesstocareforruralpopulationsandthereluctanceof
healthcareworkerstoremaininruralareas.Important
enablersforthestrengtheningofthesysteminclude
developingamotivatedknowledgeablestaffcomplementand
buildingrenewedenthusiasmamongstthepublicsector
healthcareworkers.

Itwaswonderfultointerviewawomanwhoissopassionate
andcommittedtoHealthcareinSA.

Dr SIBONGILE

ZUNGU

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