MEC’s for Gauteng Department of Health 100 days progress report brings hope and sighs
The MEC acknowledged that while it is still early days, the past 100 days’ work signifies that the Gauteng Health Story is beginning to evolve.
The 100 days Progress Report by the MEC for Gauteng Department of Health Bandile Masuku resonated the MEC’s empathy for the patients and health workers in Gauteng facilities and shed new hope for all public hospital patients.
The Media Briefing took place in Baragwanath Hospital, the biggest hospital in the southern hemisphere and the third biggest hospital in the world, where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the hospital Nkele Lesia graciously joined the MEC with his team as he gave the progress report marking a 100 days since in office.
The MEC went to give the progress report on 10 September and cited the fact that the day happened to be International Gynaecological Day and that as his commitment to spend at least 1 day in a month performing unpaid clinical work in all facilities, he had spent the morning doing some procedures in the gynaecology department in Bara.
Masuku said, “I will be always seen doing this unpaid work in other facilities as well as it is my commitment. It is coincidentally, also World Suicide Prevention Day. For us in Gauteng, it is a day to reflect on the work we do to fix and improve our mental healthcare services so that we arrest the surging mental health scourge which also appears to be a global phenomenon.”
Masuku continued to say, “We are pleased to announce that within 100 days, we managed to open a psychiatric ward at Helen Joseph, thereby expanding mental health treatment opportunities in our system.”
The MEC acknowledged that while it is still early days, the past 100 days’ work signifies that the Gauteng Health Story is beginning to evolve, he said, “A new optimism is emerging. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of building a ‘people-centred, clinician-led and stakeholder-driven’ healthcare system.”
In terms of improving patients’ experience of care and raising staff morale, the MEC reported how they have met the SOPA commitment of putting a plan for not only five but ten hospitals that will get special upgrades in the current financial year.
As part of improving waiting times and speedy resolution of complaints, Masuku said, “We have decided to officially launch uMpilo today,” an app intended to handle complains in the system with the required subtlety and dignity all human beings deserve, the app can be downloaded on Play store.
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