Health Forum to address health challenges in mining communities
The Department of Health together with mining houses that operate hospitals in Bojanala District have established a Health Forum to attend to teething healthcare challenges in mining communities. This emerged during a meeting called by Health MEC Madoda Sambatha in Rustenburg yesterday.
The meeting was convened to discuss how mining houses can be able to assist to ensure availability of beds to accommodate all patients. Job Shimankane Tabane Hospital (JST) in Rustenburg is overburdened, as a result, of growing population in Rustenburg due to mining related opportunities.
It is important for the Department of Health and the mining sector to work together to ensure that challenges in the health sector are dealt with, MEC Sambatha said.
“The Health Forum will work out a proper cooperation amongst ourselves to intervene in the challenges we are faced with especially availability of beds.
“The reality is the mines are concerned with the health of their employees and public health system has to cater for their dependents.
“We need to find a solution to relieve the pressure from JST Hospital with available beds in mining hospitals,” he said.
There are three mine hospitals in Rustenburg with a total of 472 hospital beds.
Dr. Kebalepile Mokgethi, acting Group Chief Operating Officer of Royal Bafokeng Administration has welcomed the initiative taken by MEC Sambatha to meet with stakeholders in mining.
“We are open to working with the Department of Health to deliver healthcare services for all. Royal Bafokeng commits to building an academic hospital in Phokeng,” Mokgethi said.
MEC Sambatha has welcomed a commitment made by the Royal Bafokeng Administration.
“The commitment by Royal Bafokeng Adminstration to build an academic hospital is good news for the province.
“It is important for all mining companies to work with Government to improve health status of the people of this province.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Impala, Royal Bafokeng Administration, Sibanye Still Water, Mineral Council and Standard Bank.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
