The Hospital Revitalisation Programme in the North West is continuing to take shape. Delivering her first State of the Province Address, North West Premier, Thandi Modise, said the province was forging ahead with the construction of R108 million Tlhabane Community Health Centre in Rustenburg. The project is now 95% complete and due for final completion by the end of next month.
"We also intend to expedite the construction of the R475 million Brits Hospital which is due for completion in June 2012.
"In responding to the President’s call for job creation we are planning to start one of the biggest revitalisation projects in Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital. This project will create temporary and permanent jobs and more details will be released in the next financial year," she said.
Premier Modise committed the province to ensuring that it increases the proportion of facilities providing Basic Antenatal Care. “We are also increasing the proportion of pregnant women tested through health care provider-initiated Counselling and testing for all pregnant women,” she said.
“It is our intention to improve patient care and satisfaction and expand access to home based care and community health worker services,” she added.
The Premier commended the leadership role played by both the President and the Minister of Health in conscientising South Africans about the need to be tested so that they could know their status with regard to HIV and Aids.
“As a province we are progressing well with the Massive HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign which calls upon all South Africans to know their HIV status in order to access treatment early and reduce new HIV.
“Since the campaign started in April last year, we have counselled 637 681 and tested 504 064 people for HIV. We have also screened 525 616 people for TB. Though I am pleased that the general HIV prevalence in the province is showing signs of decline, a lot still needs to be done to reach out to all our communities,” said Modise.
The Premier further assured the North West community that challenges experienced at the Mmabatho Medical Depot is receiving attention. The depot is tasked with ensuring clinics and health facilities have adequate medication.
“I want nothing else but a zero (0%) stock-out rate of antiretroviral and TB drugs,” she said.
Enquiries:
Kgotso Khumalo
Spokesperson Office of the Premier
Tel: 018 388 2450
Cell: 082 728 8400
Fax: 018 387 3144
E-mail: kkhumalo@nwpg.gov.za
