The MEC for Health (and currently the Acting MEC for Social Development), Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, will be visiting the FIFA World Cup public viewing areas in Greytown and Newcastle to convey gratitude to the thousands of public servants who are making the World Cup a success it is.
Today, Thursday,24 June 2010 the MEC will visit the public viewing area (PVA) of Greytown in his capacity as Acting MEC for Social Development to convey government’s gratitude to the many public servants who are working beyond the call of duty ensuring that the World Cup is a success that it has been acclaimed to be by many visitors. The Department of Social Development is providing social workers to help with counselling and other services for the citizens and visitors, especially minors. He will also visit the nearest hospital, Greytown Hospital, to interact with health care workers and thank them for their contribution towards the success of the World Cup.
On Friday the MEC will be in Newcastle where he is a champion for the government’s Joint Cluster Flagship Programme. The MEC will be viewing progress on the implementation of the flagship programmes in the district. The flagship programme is a government programme that aims to address the many social ills in a holistic way, canvassing all government departments to play their respective roles.
To illustrate how the flagship programme works, the MEC said; “One of the challenges that we face in health is that we cannot see good results in the fight against tuberculosis (Tb). This is largely because most of our patients live in poverty and they go hungry for days sometimes. So, if the Department of Agriculture; for an example, comes with the “One home, one garden” programme which encourages people to plough in their backyards, we will see improvements in the Department of Health’s Tb treatment programme as people will take their treatment for the duration of the course without dropping out because they cannot take the treatment on an empty stomach.”
A number of projects are already underway in the Amajuba District which has to do with food security, caring for orphaned and vulnerable children, Tb and antiretroviral treatment programmes, etc. The MEC will visit these and also meet Amakhosi and other stakeholders to announce the medical male circumcision camp to be held at the Amajuba FET College between 2 and 3 July 2010 (next week).
Journalists are invited to accompany the MEC in his trips, kindly contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 285 0567
Source: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
(http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/)
