About 1 600 governance structures members comprising of clinic committees, hospital boards, district health council and the provincial health council have been inaugurated by the MEC for Health and Social Development, Mme Onewang Rebecca Kasienyane.
Inauguration of these structures follows a series of functions held in the four districts in which MEC Kasienyane dissolved the old structures which ended their term of office and officially launched new structures.
The launches started in the Bojanala District in Moretele proceeded to
Potchefstroom in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District and then Dr Ruth
Segomotsi Mompati. The final structures to be officially launched will be Ngaka Modiri Molema District.
Governance structures are established in terms of the National Health
Act no. 61 of 2003 and the Provincial Health Act of 1997 to advice the
MEC on health service delivery matters, concerns of our communities and to represent communities’ views and input on health policy implementation.
Speaking at one of the launches, MEC Kasienyane urged new members to serve their communities with pride, to be the ears and eyes of the community and to address community concerns. ‘We expect you to assist us to better deliver quality health services to our people. We also expect you to assist in responding to community needs and concerns but not to assist them to complain,” she said.
MEC Kasienyane urged new governance structures members to make sure that they hold health facilities accountable especially in making sure that the department fully implement programmes of the new health dispensation. She stressed the importance of attention to issues of quality of care as envisaged by the Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. “It is the responsibility of governance structures to ensure that our facilities improve on this area particularly on issues of cleanliness, infection control and patient safety control,” said Kasienyane.
Kasienyane reminded the new members that they were elected by communities to represent them and that they should know that theirs is a selfless voluntary work. The department however took initiative to provide governance structures members with a R500 allowance for Provincial Health Consultative Forum and a R300 allowance for Hospital Boards members.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
