Excellence in HealthCare Awards 2007, Vodaworld
23 November 2007
Programme Director
Director-General of the Department of Health
MECs for Health
Heads of provincial Health Departments and Senior managers from the National
Department of Health
Nominees for different awards that will be allocated tonight
All the health stakeholders involved in the organisation of this award
ceremony
The Makiwane, Lahana and Nzo families after whom some of the Awards are
named
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Programme Director, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight to
celebrate what in effect is progress that we are making as the health sector in
improving the quality of life of the people of South Africa. It is the men and
women who have been nominated for these awards tonight who through, their
efforts and dedication are lying the foundation of the South Africa that we
want future generations to inherit. I am talking here Programme Director of a
South Africa characterised by compassion, selflessness and dedication among all
of us in ensuring that the quality of life of our people improves.
Programme Director, allow me right at the beginning to make special mention
and give accolades to a very special team of health workers that achieved a
first in surgery and related fields. Special congratulations will be given to
Professor Jeff Wing and his team of health professionals who were able to
operate on two young patients using one donated liver under a programme "one
donor two recipients". The transplant project was a joint effort between
Johannesburg General Hospital and Donald Gordon Centre.
The determination behind this success was a necessity to make a world class
Clinical Excellence with regard to Tertiary and Quaternary Treatment. As you
know, the theme that we have chosen for these Awards is: 'Excellent health is
more than just a job'. Through their selfless efforts the recipients of this
year's Awards have consistently exceeded normal expectations, going beyond the
call of duty to ensure that our citizens from all walks of life receive care
and comfort in their time of need. I am sure you will agree with me that the
health sector especially in a country like ours, with a unique set of
circumstances, is a very challenging and extra-ordinary one. It requires a
cadre of people who possess in them compassion, dedication and selflessness as
demonstrated by the Awardees tonight.
Programme Director, ladies and gentlemen, all of us have had our experiences
in this passing year both at a personal, professional and community level. One
such challenge that immediately comes to mind is the protracted industrial
action by government employees, which had serious implications for the health
sector this year. It is rather unfortunate that health workers suffered the
most and were subjected to various forms of intimidation. Even more regrettable
though, is the inconvenience and neglect that our patients were subjected
to.
We however would like to convey a special word of gratitude to those
healthcare workers who continued to render services under the difficult
circumstances that prevailed during that period, regardless of the personal
dangers that they exposed themselves to. We would also like to convey a special
word of gratitude to the members of South African Military Health Service and
the private health sector who provided support to the public health sector at
the time.
I should emphasise that as the Department of Health, we have always
advocated for the improvement of the total working conditions for the health
workers in our country. It is because of our engagement with other state
institutions that an additional amount of R1,4 billion was allocated this year
for the improvement salaries for nurses through the Occupation Specific
Dispensation (OSD) that we signed with the health sector unions. As we all
know, the nurses are the largest group of health professionals which constitute
the backbone of our health system. We also believe that health care delivery is
a team exercise requiring the contribution of all health professional
categories. Therefore over the next two years, all categories of health workers
will be engaged and covered by this new remuneration and career progression
system. We wish to appeal to all the health workers to co-operate and be
patient while the new pay progression system is being expanded to all health
professionals.
Programme Director, there was also a shooting incident which resulted in the
death of a hospital CEO and three managers of Seshego Hospital in Limpopo.
There were also unfortunate incidents of attack on health workers and a patient
here in Gauteng. As the National Health Council made up of the Minister and
MECs for Health, we have called for vigilance regarding access control to stop
entry of weapons into our facilities and loss of government property through
theft. Health facilities are valuable institutions that should remain
accessible to the public at all times. We therefore call upon all communities
to assist in protecting these institutions. Crime is a social challenge which
requires an integrated community response. The Department of Health has also
been directed to develop the standards for package of security services which
should guide the provision of security services in health facilities.
Programme Director, one of the special features of our award ceremony
tonight is the promotion of partnership between the public and private health
sector. The most important feature of this partnership this year has been the
engagement that has been initiated regarding curbing the escalating costs of
private health services. There is consensus that self-regulation has not been
effective in addressing private health problems and that as the Department of
Health, we must strengthen the regulatory and legislative framework. We are
acting accordingly to entrench the principles of containing costs, ethical
practices and transparency of the system as these are core-values of our
society.
Programme Director, one of the factors that we are concerned about as the
Department of Health is the ageing workforce of health professionals and
creative measures for attracting young people with a potential to the health
services have to be put in place to counter this. There is a proliferation of
career choices today and it is a challenge to make the health science
professions an attractive choice for gifted young people leaving high
school.
To be able to attract more able youths into this noble profession, we need
men and women of the calibre of tonight's awardees, who are shining examples of
the profession. Your contributions which are being recognised today elevate the
health professions and help to make them more attractive in terms of the value
of the social contribution that can be made by young people.
We need a multidisciplinary team of health professionals who are sensitive
and responsive to contemporary moral and ethical issues confronting our nation.
Young health professionals should participate in debates on contemporary health
issues in our country and also contribute to research locally and globally.
Programme Director, I am happy to notice that in this year's awards we
included the echelon of Chief Executive Officers of public hospitals. The
individuals who perform par excellence, the project leaders, the groups and the
entire excellent work done takes place under the guidance of an efficient
manager. While on this point, there is already a new programme that is soon to
reach its third year that is aimed at enhancing the managerial capacity of our
hospital CEOs. Our special gratitude goes to the Universities of KwaZulu-Natal
and Witwatersrand for acceding to our request to pilot the programme for the
country.
We are also sensitive to the different levels of services offered by public
health facilities, from the Primary HealthCare centre, the district hospital up
to secondary and tertiary health facilities. In all these levels managers play
an important role in co-ordinating all the various activities into a meaningful
whole.
Programme Director; let me end by recognising the efforts of all those who
worked tirelessly to ensure that tonight's occasion is a success that it has
been thus far and I believe more exciting moments of this occasion are still to
come. We are grateful for all the hours that you put into that effort and on
behalf of the Department of Health I wish to say thank you for the good work.
Most important, I should mention that all the nominees are with us tonight.
After looking at all your profiles, I must say that to me you are all winners.
Congratulations to all of you and keep up the good work. South Africa is proud
of you.
Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of the night.
Enquiries:
Sibani Mngadi
Media Liaison Officer
Ministry of Health
Tel: 012 312 0763
Fax: 012 325 5526
Cell: 082 772 0161
Issued by: Department of Health
23 November 2007
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
