Picture: The primary healthcare centre in Manthe
By OBAKENG MAJE
North West MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha said the Manthe Community Health Centre project in Manthe village, near Taung is in the final stages of planning and design. Last year, some residents complained about the dire situation at Manthe Clinic.
They alleged that, ceilings were falling off and the building was dilapidating. The residents called on the North West Department of Health to prioritise and refurbish infrastructure at the clinic.
Now, Sambatha said this is one of the priority projects for the department.
“The department continues to focus its attention on the maintenance of the existing health facilities through various programmes and term contracts that are being implemented.
“One of the implementation strategies for maintenance is through a Contractor Development Programme. We are in the process of appointing the project management consultants for this programme in the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year,” he said.
Sambatha said, in addition, a procurement process of contractors will be done in the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year to fast-track implementation. He further said, a target of 44 contractors was set and the Terms of Reference (specification) for the targeted contractors in the category of CIDB Grade 2 to 5 is being developed.
“This programme is meant to advance three interrelated objectives as the development of local SMME’s (grade 2-5 all specialities), poverty alleviation and empowerment through infrastructure, and strengthening maintenance of the current infrastructure.
“Hospital and Clinical Support Services Branch is responsible for seven hospitals made of two Tertiary Hospitals, three Regional Hospitals and two Specialized Hospitals. For the financial year 2022-23 tertiary hospitals saw a total of 523 115 patients (average of 43 593 per month),” said Sambatha.
He added that, the Regional Hospitals saw a total of 223 243 (an average of 18 604 per month), while Specialized Hospitals saw a total of 33 383 patients (with an average patient visits of 2 781 per month) at the Outpatient Departments.
Sambatha said a total number of 18 768 operations were performed in Tertiary Hospitals and 11 035 in Regional Hospitals.
“The Tertiary Hospitals conducted 5627 Caesarean Sections, whilst Regional Hospitals performed 3974. This accounts for 30% of operations in Tertiary Hospitals and 36% in Regional Hospitals.
“All the three acute regional hospitals have been equipped with CT scans with the resultant improved management and treatment of trauma and medical emergencies. Furthermore, the second cancer radiation therapy machine is now functional at the Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital Complex,” he said.
Sambatha said they also procured a neuro-navigation unit and anaesthetic machines. He said some of the scarce skills such as Radiation Oncologists, Radiologists, and specialist nurses have been appointed.
“The access to healthcare for all our people is one of the gains of our democracy. It is also a basic, fundamental and constitutional right, that the liberation movement, the ANC, its alliance partners and other struggle frontiers fought for.
“This ANC-led government is committed to continuing the fight for access to health care such that when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a threat to access to health, the government introduced extraordinary measures including the state of emergency to ensure that our people are not denied access,” said Sambatha.
The Guardian 