Building a resilient healthcare system
The sun of hope is rising in the province of Mpumalanga after a Covid-19-ravished year. The Premier of Mpumalanga, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, on Friday delivered a message of hope to the province’s millions of citizens, laying out her administration’s prio
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane has cautioned the residents of the province not to let their guard down in the fight against Covid-19, saying her administration is pinning hope on a successful vaccination programme.
“The vaccination campaign will take time to reach every citizen of this province who needs it. We therefore are appealing to our people to continue observing safety protocols. We believe that once the dark cloud is gone, we will see the sun shining again and it will still be rising from Mpumalanga,” said Mtshweni-Tsipane.
The premier also applauded frontline workers who are fighting the global pandemic, sparing no ounce of strength.
“Their efforts will not be in vain. The provincial government will, in due course, honour and celebrate our frontline workers.”
The province has begun its vaccine rollout. Mpumalanga has completed part
of the first phase that entailed the vaccination of health workers at two provincial health facilities – Rob Ferreira and Witbank hospitals.
The province is preparing for the second and third phases of its vaccination programme that will see the administration vaccinating police, teachers, taxi drivers and those that are 60 years and above, as well as those that are 18 years and older but with comorbidities.
This will be followed by the entire population of Mpumalanga who are above 18 years.
The province is also looking beyond Covid-19 by building a health system that will withstand the next pandemic. The following infrastructure projects are currently in progress and some are nearing completion:
• Middelburg Hospital;
• Bethal Hospital;
• Mammethlake Hospital;
• Mapulaneng Hospital;
• Pankop clinic;
• Two clinics in Oakley and KwaMdladla;
To improve on emergency turnaround time, the provincial government has procured 67 new ambulances to add to the existing fleet.
“As part of our efforts to fight the HIV/ Aids pandemic, we continue to work within the national framework of the 90/90/90 strategy. Through the Mpumalanga Provincial AIDS Council, we will continue to vigorously implement the Mpumalanga provincial implementation plan for HIV, TB and STIs,” said the premier.