A NEW hospital and at least five clinics will be built in the OR Tambo district by national government, which will also fund the renovation of existing health facilities.
This was announced by Eastern Cape health MEC Sicelo Gqobana on Saturday when he said the “national department has taken over the building of clinics in the district”.
“But they will work closely with us,” said Gqobana.
The MEC was talking at a National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) event at Mandela Park in Mthatha where computers and printers were handed over to the department.
Sixteen of the computers and printers were donated by Mthatha Rotary Club in conjunction with the TB/HIV Care Association funded by US President’s Emergency Plan For HIV/Aids Relief.
Gqobana however did not provide a timeline or cost for the new healthcare facilities or say where the new hospital would be built.
“We expect that the new hospital be built soon but the national department is busy finalising their plans. The national department has also taken over building five new clinics in the OR Tambo district,” he said.
Gqobana said there was a dire shortage of healthcare facilities and human resources in the Eastern Cape.
“In some clinics there are only two nurses and they have to attend to long queues of patients, clean the clinic and also do administration work,” he said.
He also said many people were still battling to access health services.
“Some wake up at 4am and start their journey to health facilities so that they can be first on the queue. In other areas, mobile clinics only go there once a week. This is not an ideal situation for the new South Africa,” said Gqobana.
The NHI pilot projects, which began last year, were allocated a R150-million conditional grant for the fiscal year 2012-2013. Each of the 10 pilot districts, including OR Tambo, was allocated R11.5-million and seven central hospitals in these districts got R5-million each.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in February said he had underestimated the scale of the problems in the pilot districts, particularly in the OR Tambo district.
His deputy, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, who visited Eastern Cape last month, left the province unhappy .
She found health facilities lacking and was shocked at their under-performance, high vacancy rates and the failure of the province to retain doctors.
Gqobana said they were now pulling out all stops to ensure the OR Tambo district NHI pilot sites succeeded.
“Every week there is meeting between the provincial management and the district management,” he said. —
New OR Tambo hospital on cards
This was announced by Eastern Cape health MEC Sicelo Gqobana on Saturday when he said the “national department has taken over the building of clinics in the district”.
“But they will work closely with us,” said Gqobana.
The MEC was talking at a National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) event at Mandela Park in Mthatha where computers and printers were handed over to the department.
Sixteen of the computers and printers were donated by Mthatha Rotary Club in conjunction with the TB/HIV Care Association funded by US President’s Emergency Plan For HIV/Aids Relief.
Gqobana however did not provide a timeline or cost for the new healthcare facilities or say where the new hospital would be built.
“We expect that the new hospital be built soon but the national department is busy finalising their plans. The national department has also taken over building five new clinics in the OR Tambo district,” he said.
Gqobana said there was a dire shortage of healthcare facilities and human resources in the Eastern Cape.
“In some clinics there are only two nurses and they have to attend to long queues of patients, clean the clinic and also do administration work,” he said.
He also said many people were still battling to access health services.
“Some wake up at 4am and start their journey to health facilities so that they can be first on the queue. In other areas, mobile clinics only go there once a week. This is not an ideal situation for the new South Africa,” said Gqobana.
The NHI pilot projects, which began last year, were allocated a R150-million conditional grant for the fiscal year 2012-2013. Each of the 10 pilot districts, including OR Tambo, was allocated R11.5-million and seven central hospitals in these districts got R5-million each.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in February said he had underestimated the scale of the problems in the pilot districts, particularly in the OR Tambo district.
His deputy, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, who visited Eastern Cape last month, left the province unhappy .
She found health facilities lacking and was shocked at their under-performance, high vacancy rates and the failure of the province to retain doctors.
Gqobana said they were now pulling out all stops to ensure the OR Tambo district NHI pilot sites succeeded.
“Every week there is meeting between the provincial management and the district management,” he said. —
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