NW Department of Health

MEC MADODA SAMBATHA REFLECTS

The MEC for Health in the North West Province, Mr Madoda Sambatha, reflected on his work as a political head for the provincial department during the 2021/2022 budget vote. MEC Sambatha outlined a comprehensive plan to get the North West Department of Health on a path to render effective and efficient healthcare services amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Provincial Department is not spared from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and the devastating impacts of it characterized by diminishing resources. Despite these challenges, the Department committed to continue to improve accessibility to good quality healthcare to all in the North West Province with the budget allocation for the 2021/22 financial year of R14.1 billion which included the R562 million Covid-19 funding.

“I am proud to reflect on the progress made to date with regard to promotion of access to healthcare, capacity building, as well as efforts and resources deployed to wage war against the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the MEC.

The Department unveiled an ambitious blueprint to deal with issues of health infrastructure development, care and maintenance of facilities, as well as opening new facilities for our communities in our deep rural areas. A new state-of-the art clinic was officially opened in Mmakaunyane, Moretele Local Municipality in Bojanala District on 10 November 2021 and the Jouberton Community Health Centre started to add to quality healthcare for communities in Jouberton, City of Matlosana Municipality in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District on 12 May 2021 in a phase-in approach. The construction of Rapulana Clinic in Lotlhakane village, Mahikeng Local Municipality in Ngaka Modiri Molema District is well underway and should be completed on schedule.

Other capital projects are at various stages of implementation and the Department hopes to make pronouncements soon. “In our efforts to continue to improve our facilities and install high-tech equipment to afford our people quality healthcare service, 4 optical laboratories were launched across four districts (Bojanala, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr Kenneth Kaunda); located at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital (Mahikeng), Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital (Vryburg), Klerksdorp Hospital

MEC for Health in the North West Province, Mr Madoda Sambatha

(Klerksdorp) and Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital (Rustenburg). These optical laboratories well ensure proper eye-care services and accelerate production of prescription glasses in a quick and efficient manner for our poor communities,” said the MEC.

The above mentioned efforts will augment the capacity of the provincial hospitals that currently hosted marathon operations to restore sight for some members of the communities. In a joint effort Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital and Mahikeng Provincial Hospital conducted eye operations, where 38 patients underwent successful restoration of sight in one weekend.

To respond effectively to medical emergencies, the Department has added 20 new ambulances to its fleet which are fully operational across the Province with the allocation as in the following Districts: Ngaka Modiri Molema (9 ambulances), Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (6 ambulances) Bojanala (3 ambulances) and Dr Kenneth Kaunda (2 ambulances).

To fill the gap cause by the braindrain of medical professionals in the Province, the Department of Health in the 2021/22 financial year managed to recruit 188 community service doctors and 89 community service nurses in its efforts to ensure proper healthcare services are rendered to our communities. These appointments are supported by an additional 351 posts filled for the period under review, which includes, the new Head of Department, Mr Obakeng Mongale who assumed his duties on 01 April 2021 to stabilise the departmental administration.

The Department of Health spared no effort in its bitter battle with the Covid-19 pandemic. The North West Province implemented its vaccination campaign on 17 February 2021 and to date, just over 1.9 million doses have been administered against the provincial target of 2.7 million people. The MEC led a strong vaccination drive to ensure access to vaccine and various stakeholders were roped in to assist in this mammoth task. Traditional leaders, Churches and Traditional Health Practitioners were enlisted to convey messages to various corners of the Province and to mobilize communities to rally behind the call to register to vaccinate against the Covid-19 virus.

As the MEC for Health in North West, Mr Madoda Sambatha said he is proud of all the strides the Department has made so far in ensuring healthy living for all. He said that the work of the Department is far from done but, “I take solace from our late statesman, Tata Nelson Mandela, who once said: ‘After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.’

Contact Details

Cnr 1st Street & Sekame Road, Mahikeng, 2745 Tel: 018 391 4000 / 18 391 4001 Web: www.health.nwpg.gov.za/doh