Department of Defence Annual Report 2008-2009

| Department of Defence |
Risk Mitigation Action Actual Achievement
Overburdened and shortage of
healthcare practitioners and the impact
on maintaining the quality of the
existing military health service
Offering of study contracts to selected
members
The study scheme is an effort to recruit
and retain members in healthcare
professional groupings to “grow the
SAMHS own timber”. Increased
interest was shown in this initiative.
The legalities and binding nature of
the study contracts must, however,
be revised to prevent DOD-trained
graduates from avoiding the fullment
of their service obligations
Training of Article 38A Nurses
The training of Article 38A nurses
continued as an innovative measure to
augment the functions of dispensing
medication in the health facilities where
there are no dedicated pharmacists.
This intervention has been a cost saver
to the SAMHS
Joint Logistic Services Subprogramme
The non-availability of relevant
skills, competences and stakeholder
requirements
Meetings with the National
and Provincial Departments /
Administrations
Outsourced specialists to assist in audit
qualications, data cleanup, policy
development and repositioning of
life cycle, supply-chain and facilities
management
SAMHS has initiated meetings
with the National and Provincial
Administrations to promote and
sustain inter-sectoral and collaborative
relationships. The initiative to promote
the collaborative relationship in Area
Military Health Unit KwaZulu-Natal
has progressed well. A Memorandum
of Collaboration between the
Government, the National Department
of Health and the Department of
Defence has been formalised as part of
an innovative and supportive strategy
while both departments experience a
shortage of skilled personnel
The implementation of the technical
retention incentive scheme has been
delayed by the Department of Finance.
Support for audit qualications, data
cleanup, policy development and
repositioning of life-cycle, supply-chain
and facilities management has been
outsourced.
Estimated mitigation action
achievement is 75% of planned
| Appendix D |
The non-repair and maintenance of
facilities and infrastructure will result in
the further dilapidation of facilities that
will negatively affect the DOD in its
rendering of its constitutional mandate
The DOD investigated the possibility
of managing the repair and
maintenance of facilities by means
of own capability that previously lead
to delays and failures in capital and
maintenance programmes
The Military Command Council has
approved the formation of a DOD
Works Regiment, merging with the
Service Corps and DOD Logistic
Support Formation Directorate Facility
Management, as an own capability to
assist in reduction of the maintenance
backlog. Since this action is still in
the implementation phase, estimated
achievement is 30% of planned
195 Annual Report FY 2008 - 2009