Members of People's Independent Practitioner's Association (PIPA), association of private medical practitioners in Bojanala Platinum District declared their willingness to volunteer their services to rural communities following a meeting with North West MEC for Health and Social Development Rebecca Kasienyane. Kasienyane met with medical practitioners as part of her efforts to urge private doctors to support the department in its effort to improve and sustain the health and social conditions of our people.
Speaking to private medical practitioners, MEC Kasienyane said that their involvement on how best the department can improve the health status of communities is essential in shaping and informing health service delivery.
"My vision for the department is to build on the gains of decades of liberation struggle and those of our young democracy in an effort to improve and sustain the health and social conditions of our people.
"This is an aspiration that I will not be able to fulfil on my own. I need the support of all concerned and affected stakeholders.
"As doctors you are not the only concerned stakeholders, but you are also bound by your call for duty and your pledge to care for the health of our people. As the department, it is our responsibility to also assist you to carry this burden of a calling that lays heavily on your shoulders and your conscious.
"I am saying this because I can understand that as people who are called, you do not rest in peace knowing that the people of your land are heavily burdened by diseases and social ills that threaten their lives," Kasienyane told health practitioners.
PIPA chairperson, Dr Ntshabele welcomed MEC's initiative to meet with private doctors.
"This is a ground breaking initiative that we have been looking forward to. It is for the first time that a health MEC meets us in this province. Other health departments in other provinces already have working relationship with private doctors," Dr. Ntshabele said.
PIPA members made it clear that they are ready to volunteer their services to the department and to the rural communities of the province once they have worked out details and agreed with the department on certain aspect like hours of volunteering.
Kasienyane was in Bojanala to continue her provincial tour to assess conditions first hand in health facilities and meet with department's health officials. She visited Brits hospital and Job Shimankane Tabane hospital. The MEC also visited a home based care facility in SONOP to check the level of service delivery. The centre offers a wide range of services ranging from primary healthcare, social services, counselling, mental healthcare and care for the elderly. She promised to capacitate the centre.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Department Spokesperson
Cell: 08 292 99958 or 078 170 0037
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, North West Provincial Government
17 July 2009
