Mpumalanga is strengthening its healthcare system through new infrastructure, expanded staffing and improved services aimed at bringing quality medical care closer to communities.
Delivering the State of the Province Address in Mbombela on Thursday, Premier Mandla Ndlovu said the government had made steady progress in improving healthcare delivery.
“Our health system is improving and becoming more responsive to the needs of our people,” Ndlovu said.
Over the past year, the government appointed 2 024 healthcare workers, including 121 doctors, and deployed 25 doctors permanently to primary healthcare
facilities.
Ndlovu said neonatal mortality had declined, while 286 out of 290 healthcare facilities in the province now met national Ideal Clinic standards.
The government has allocated R1.7-billion for health infrastructure, including new clinics and upgrades to hospitals such as the Mapulaneng Regional Hospital in Bushbuckridge.
Health MEC Sasekani Manzini said greater accountability was improving service delivery.
“Even workers are afraid to be complacent now. We have opened our phones for communities to report any issue,” she said.
“This is yielding positive results. We also gave out the phone numbers of all the senior managers. Every second counts.”
