Health Department
22 May 2007
Eastern Cape MEC for Health, Mrs N Jajula will join representatives of
Japanese Government to the official handover of medical equipment donated to
the Eastern Cape Department of Health by Japanese Government which will take
place at St Barnabas Hospital in the Nyandeni Local Service Area (LSA) on 14
June 2007 at 10h00. This follows an initiative by the Japanese Government
having pledged 30 million United States dollars (USD) to support the
improvement of health facilities in South Africa, of which three provinces
benefited, namely, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. This initiative
was in line with the Integrated Rural Development Strategy as prioritised by
the President in Parliament, in June 1999.
The Eastern Cape Department of Health received a long list of valuable
medical equipment to the value of R61 064 964.69 which include x-ray machines,
six mobile clinics, five ambulances and which have since been equitably
distributed in the following areas: Baziya Health Centre, Canzibe Hospital,
Mbekweni Health Care Centre, Mhlakulo Health Care Centre, Nessie Knight
Hospital, Ngangelizwe Health Care Centre, Qumbu Health Centre, St Lucys
Hospital, St Barnabas Hospital, Stanford Terrace Health Care Centre and
Zithulele Hospital.
The donated equipment has since been in full operation in all those
designated centres and was set to benefit people of OR Tambo District with
increased radiography, operations and dental treatment, less waiting periods as
well as diminished inequality when accessing healthcare services. The Japanese
Government has furthermore pledged to provide technical assistance through the
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in the form of training towards
management and maintenance of this equipment. Several Japanese fact finding
missions have visited South Africa with the purpose of concretising and
verifying the Department's project proposal for the Eastern Cape and Limpopo
provinces. Relevant stakeholders and government officials are expected to
attend the event.
Background Information
1. The Japanese Government pledged $30 million USD to support the
improvement of health facilities in South Africa. Three provinces benefited
from the Japanese support, namely, Limpopo, KwaZulu- Natal and Eastern Cape.
This was in line with the Integrated Rural Development Strategy as prioritised
by the President, in Parliament, on 25 June 1999.
2. Several Japanese fact finding missions have visited South Africa for the
purpose of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Projects. Their main objective was to
concretise and verify the Department's project proposals for the two
provinces.
The project proposals were technical documents which provided for inter
alia:
* basic design of the requested Japanese assistance
* obligation of the recipient country
* project operational plans
* basic concepts of the project.
Context
Minister of Health, Dr Tshabalala-Msimang signed the exchange of notes for
the Eastern Cape Provincial Health Department in January 2005. The cost of the
medical equipment was one billion and thirty eight million Japanese Yen
(approximately R61 064 964.69)
The Eastern Cape Department of Health received a long list of valuable medical
equipment, which include among others, X-ray machines and six Mobile clinics
five Ambulances and have since been equitably distributed in the following
centres:
* Baziya Health Centre
* Canzibe Hospital
* Mbekweni Health Care Centre
* Mhlakulo Health Care Centre
* Nessie Knight Hospital
* Ngangelizwe health Care Centre
* Qumbu Health Centre
* St Lucy�s Hospital
* St Barnabas Hospital
* Stanford terrace Health Care Centre
* Zithulele Hospital.
Details of the event are as follows:
Date: 14 June 2007
Time: 10h00
Venue: St Barnabas
For enquiries contact:
Mr Zola Hloma
Tel: 040 609 4934/36
E-mail: zola.hloma@impilo.ecprov.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
22 May 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
