By Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko
Infrastructure and service issues in Gauteng have recently come under the spotlight. The Gauteng Department of Health however is making strides to fast track the improvement of healthcare facilities and services to ensure that the growing population, which is currently at 16 million according to the latest mid-year stats by Statistic South Africa (Stats SA), has access to the highest standard of care.
The process to provide high-class facilities with top-notch services that are easily and readily available to the public has already begun. Contractors have been appointed and construction is underway, with multiple projects already completed.
As the 7th administration, our intention and goal is to accelerate the process in order to reduce strain and satisfy growing demands in the health sector.
Just recently we presented three additional wards, which we extended to accommodate more patients, and five fully renovated areas, namely the radiology department, eye clinic, and casualty waiting area at Mamelodi Regional Hospital.
We recognise the urgency and necessity to implement interventions that will see the construction of four new hospitals in Daveyton, Orange Farm, Diepsloot, and Soshanguve, as well as the upgrading of current facilities.
For us to realise our goal of a universal healthcare system and to better serve our communities, it is crucial that we close the healthcare gap in townships and address regional disparities in the delivery of healthcare.
Providing Gauteng residents with high-quality healthcare is the ultimate and main goal of these reforms, especially as we anticipate the National Health Insurance (NHI) in the future.
Our infrastructure improvement plan to elevate hospitals and clinics across the province is in full swing, with multiple projects and site visits taking place all throughout Gauteng. Thorough steps are being followed to ensure the appropriate measures are applied in the construction of these facilities.
We remain dedicated to a phased approach that prioritises the most important areas first, as this process of maintaining and upgrading facilities calls for careful resource allocation and planning.
The most recent assessments by the Office of Health Standards Compliance have revealed that, as of right now, 14 of the 37 inspected hospitals have been determined to be compliant, meeting the ideal hospital requirements, and 22 out of 36 Community Health Centres (CHCs) received certification as compliant.
Furthermore, approximately 68% of the assessed facilities in Gauteng have achieved the ideal hospital status nationally.
This demonstrates the province’s commitment to ensuring that all people including those living in the outskirts of Gauteng and farther from the city centre have access to the closest accredited healthcare facilities, both public and private.
This will not only reduce the need for people to travel long distances for healthcare but it will also relieve pressure from hospitals, which are currently unable to meet the rising demand for quality services.
Many hospitals and clinics, ranging from the West Rand to Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, have undergone renovations, extensions, and maintenance. This includes the replacement of asbestos ceilings and broken doors, as well as the installation of a 250 000-litre water tank.
Long term solutions have also been included, to reduce equipment breakdowns. The Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital has appointed contractors to service multiple pieces of equipment, like air conditioners, sluice machines, and mortuary cold rooms, on a monthly, quarterly, or biannual basis.
The aim is to address the gaps within the industry and cater to the vast, growing population, which is in urgent need of healthcare. We, as the Gauteng Department of Health, have made a vow to empower communities so they can fight against diseases, take preventative measures, and reduce the burden of illnesses.
Thus far, notable infrastructure improvements have been achieved as a result of our proactive approach. Seven top-of-the-range clinics, namely Philip Moyo, Kekana Gardens, and Finetown, have been built and turned over to the communities who are in urgent need of these facilities and its resources.
These improvements include the complete renovation of the breast milk bank in the Dietetics department and neonatal isolation room at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, as well as the completion of the psychiatric admission ward and extentions to the Adult Burns Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
At the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, repairs to the fire-affected areas have been advanced, and the second phase of the remedial work has begun. It, however, does not end there.
To date, over 130 000 patient files have been converted into a digital format for improved management and accessibility. This is the outcome of our successful implementation of the eHealth digitisation back scanning at Baragwanath Hospital.
We are on a mission to reduce the load and ease access to information by modernising the healthcare system, making the process simpler for patients and staff alike. This transition will enhance accessibility and efficiency in managing patient records, ensuring compliance with security standards. Amongst this, a queue management system has been introduced to tackle the high demands in an orderly manner.
The goal is to make the experience at healthcare facilities convenient, simpler, and easier for everyone. Therefore, our project, which has already been rolled out, will provide insights into staff allocation, turnaround times for service provisions, and outline the times of day that appear to be busy to swiftly tackle the challenge of overcrowded facilities and unsatisfied patients.
Other initiatives, such as the rollout of the Health Information System, will aid in alleviating the increasing population pressure by reducing waiting time and improving resource allocation through digital tools.
Thus far, we have implemented various modules such as patient administration, billing, and accounting across 33 community health centres and all 37 hospitals, improving overall efficiency within our healthcare network.
We maintain, that regardless of people’s socio-economic status, public or private hospitals should be of the greatest quality and dignity. Nobody should have to endure dilapidated facilities, which have made it difficult for medical personnel to perform their duties, compromising residents.
Now, more than ever, accelerated transformation is essential to our democracy. Therefore, we are doing what is necessary to prioritise the development and enhancement of our healthcare infrastructure to ensure that everyone residing in Gauteng from all regions has access.
* Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is the MEC of Health in Gauteng
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.