Health corruption busters reveal the monster in our midst

Abstract

Provincial health departments are beginning to show modest success in meeting President Jacob Zuma’s exhortation to root out fraud and corruption, but their efforts have revealed a national pandemic of looting, conservatively costing hundreds of millions, much of it deeply systemic.
While the crime-busting efforts are contributing significantly to reducing many provinces’ billion rand budget deficits, poor management, ineffective financial systems and lack of skills continue to aggravate matters – and to provide rich and easy pickings for syndicates.