Health and education remain key priorities
The Gauteng government has set itself a target of constructing 11 primary health centres by 2024, as it ramps up its plans to shore up service delivery in this key area.
Premier David Makhura, in the State of the Province Address, said his administration had learnt a great deal in how it responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, 32 hospitals were repurposed to address the shortfall of beds against the 1 June 2020 baseline figure. We have delivered 4 265 functional beds, of which 1 600 had been delivered as permanent additional capacity to the provincial health system,” he said.
“The investment in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic prevented our health system from collapsing while providing an opportunity to bring about efficiency in the delivery of our public healthcare system.”
Highlights of the year:
• 334 clinics achieved ideal status in the 2021/22 financial year, which represents 91% of the ideal clinic status realisation rate. (Ideal clinics are facilities that are open on time, are patient-friendly and safe, and are supported by adequate medical supplies and clean equipment.)
• In a total of 10 priority hospitals, eight hospitals obtained 60% ideal status, namely Dr George Mukhari, Mamelodi, Bheki Mlangeni, Thelle Mogoerane, Sebokeng and Edenvale hospitals.
• The province has filled 33 of the 37 CEO posts in hospitals. In terms of employment equity, 44.6% of senior management positions in health are occupied by women.
• The public health system has enrolled 1.3-million patients on the Centralised Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution Programme.
• The maternal mortality in-facility ratio has been reduced to 84 per 100 000 live births.
• Makhura has signed a proclamation to transfer all functions relating to the refurbishments at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development to the Department of Health.
On the education front, the province continues to make great strides. Makhura said it was pleasing that despite being one of the largest education systems in the country, the province consistently delivers a high matric pass with an emphasis on quality.
For the class of 2021, 44% of bachelor passes in South Africa were in Gauteng.
A total of 130 schools in the province achieved a 100% pass rate, while 462 had a pass rate that was above 90%. Four of the top 10 districts in the country were from Gauteng.