Witrand Hospital announced Mrs Moipone Elizabeth Mpolokeng as the official new CEO appointed from the 1st of December 2021 to lead the best specialized mental health Hospital in the North West Province. Prior to her official appointment, Mrs Mpolokeng had been occupying the Acting Chief Executive Officer position at Witrand Hospital since November 2019.
Originally from Ikageng, Mrs Mpolokeng brings along a wealth of knowledge and expertise in hospital health leadership and management and is a real team player.
She started her career as a professional nurse at Nic Bodenstein Hospital in 1988 and through her hard work and dedication she went up the career ladder working at Potchefstroom Hospital, Ventersdorp Hospital and lastly Klerksdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital when she was ultimately seconded to Witrand Hospital as Acting Chief Executive Officer and now the new Chief Executive Officer.
Mrs. Mpolokeng comes in handy with academic achievements; she carries a Diploma in General Nursing, Midwifery and Community Nursing Science, a Degree in Nursing Administration and Nursing Education. She completed an Advanced Management Programme with Potchefstroom Business School.
She has been a member of various committees dealing with patient safety and clinical governance issues. Acted in Higher Positions of CEO for Potchefstroom Hospital, Ventersdorp Hospital as well as Klerksdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital and provided strategic leadership.
“My vision is to lead Witrand Hospital to be one of the best-specialized hospitals in the provision of Mental Health and rehabilitation services,” she said.
“Based on the demand, the plan is to expand Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services to a 30 bedded unit, refurbishment of some wards in phases according to Ideal Hospital Standards’’, Mrs Mpolokeng added.
Mpolokeng added that staff mental health and wellness is quite critical, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic forced people to adapt to the new normal. “Therefore, employee health and wellness is at the depth of my heart and will elevate it to the heights,” she said.
”As for me, reduction of patient safety incidents is very important, as a collective providing a safe environment and protecting the rights of the mental health care and intellectual disabled users remain our mandate’. ‘So far the project that we started early last year for placement of patients with different intellectual disabilities is bearing fruits,”.
“This means creating enough space for assessed psychiatric and intellectually disabled patients on the waiting list. We have so far largely communicated the importance of such a project to all stakeholder, particularly the parents of admitted patients”, added the CEO
In addition to the hospital’s priorities is the improvement of IT infrastructure so that they leverage medical advances of technology and IT solutions. They have also further observed the ever-increasing numbers of drugs and substance abuse cases on the waiting list, more especially amongst youth that require rehabilitation services.
Although substance abuse rehabilitation services are mainly Social Development Department responsibility, Witrand Hospital will engage them, including other stakeholders to deal with this challenge.
The hospital has also been working together with the Hospital Board as representatives of the community to improve the provisioning of mental health care services and communicating to the immediate communities, which is so far the best platform for consultation.
”I appeal to the communities, staff and other stakeholders to cooperate with us in our quest to improve mental health and rehabilitation services”, said Mrs Mpolokeng.
