We are left with 122 days before the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the critical days for verification and confirmation of our readiness and if it is necessary to set up a delivery task team to remove obstacles that may compromise effective service delivery during the tournament.
Although we are well on track with 90 percent level of readiness, we need to work with speed to meet 100 days countdown final dry runs. This brings me to the objectives of the two days national health workshop of 2010 provincial coordinators, to assess the readiness of our health sector as well as formulate time bound interventions to address whatever gaps we identify to ensure that we deliver on our commitments as outlined in the bid documents.
The workshop follows preparation processes over the last three years and subsequent series of inspection visits to host cities and stadiums in Polokwane, Limpopo and Rustenburg, North West, to establish and test the level of readiness of our services including clinical and emergency medical services. Surgeon General of the South African Military Health Services, Dr VJ Ramlakan accompanied by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Head of Medical Services, Dr Victor Ramathesele, also to inspect Moses Mabhida during the match against Zimbabwe.
It is our responsibility as Department of Health of South Africa to ensure that our visitors during the 2010 FIFA World Cup find our health services adequate and responsive to their needs. Our commitments as health include ensuring the availability of a comprehensive health and medical response on a 24 hour basis and disaster management for the duration of the tournament in the following areas:
* Emergency medical services
* Hospital services
* Port health
* Environmental health
* Communicable diseases control
* Health promotion
* Forensic medical services
* Clinical medico-legal
* Pathology services
Lessons learnt from the 2009 Confederations Cup and particularly the incident in Wynburg, where a German journalist was involved in an accident and subsequently passed on calls on us to reflect on how major routes will be covered during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to ensure prompt response to such incidents.
Recent developments in Angola where a Togo national team was ambushed, has raised concerns both locally and internationally about the ability of the African continent to successfully plan and host a major event. While we all concede that the country has previously hosted major events like World Summit on Sustainable Development, rugby and cricket world cups, we equally note the magnitude of the coming world cup as the biggest event ever held in our continent and that we will need different approaches with regards to planning, implementation and management of our activities.
It is therefore important that safety and health matters with regards to service provision are integrated to ensure that the well being of all visitors including the teams are prioritised. For us to host a successful world cup we need to be ready for any eventuality. We need unification of command between local, provincial and national governments and private sector. We need to dissolve all vertical and horizontal boundaries and resolve alldisputes about issues of command and control.
We need to demonstrate cohesion and integration of our services with South African Military Health Services (SAMHS) and other role players. To strengthen the command and control for the tournament at all levels of coordination, SAMHS will work with us in providing services in all hosting provinces, stadiums, training venues, match venues and fan parks including setting up a national health command and control Centre, to be linked to all provincial control centres. This will ensure seamless flow of information for both decision making and intervention when necessary.
We cannot leave anything to chance as all eyes will be on us. We need to formulate solutions with timelines for any challenge identified during this two days workshop. I am confident that we will emerge victorious.
Enquiries:
Charity Bhengu
Cell: 083 679 7424
Issued by: Department of Health
8 February 2010
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za/)
