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Date: 31/05/2004
Source: Free State Provincial Government
Title: S Belot: Opening of Ladybrand Clinic


THE SPEECH OF THE FREE STATE MEC FOR HEALTH, MR SAKHIWO BELOT, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF LADYBRAND CLINIC, LADYBRAND, 31 May 2004

Programme Director
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

We meet here today to officially open this clinic in Ladybrand. I have no doubt that for the community of Ladybrand, and other communities who are served by this clinic this is a momentous occasion. I am informed that you have long awaited the official opening of this clinic. It was the intention of my predecessor, Ms Ouma Tsopo, to perform this function before the last general national elections, but due to other official engagements she could not manage to do so. The baton has thus been handed over to me to run with and complete the marathon of quality service delivery that we have entered as this ANC-led government.

The work that we have begun in 1994 as the ANC-led government continues to gain momentum after ten years of our democratic breakthrough. As a matter of fact, we are faced with a challenge of speeding up the pace of delivery as we enter the second decade of our freedom. The people's contract that we have entered with our people in this second decade of our liberation demands from all of us to be resolute and forthright in terms of bringing about a complete transformation in the lives of our people.

Programme director, the commitment that we made to bring about a fundamental transformation in the lives of the people of this country, particularly the former oppressed, has found expression in various service delivery programmes of this government.

Today we meet here in Ladybrand to come and witness yet another milestone that has been undertaken by this government to bring about better health services to our people as part of the broader transformation agenda. Clinics serve as an important vehicle in giving ordinary people access to health services based on our Primary Health Care philosophy. It is for this reason that, through the Department of Health, the Free State Government has embarked on a programme to build and upgrade clinics at a greater momentum. This clinic in Ladybrand that we are opening today is part of a considerable number of clinics that we have now built and upgraded in this province. Allow me to reflect on this programme for the building and upgrading of clinics in the Free State.

Clinic Building and Upgrading Programme

Motsamaisi wa mosebetsi, bomme le bontate, tleliniki ena ya Ladybrand yeo re e bulang kajeno ke karolo ya ditlelinilki tse 13 tseo re di ahileng selemong se fetileng sa ditjhelete re le mmuso wa Free State. Re boetse re ntjhafaditse ditleliniki tse 13 ka hara profensi e le karolo ya programa ena ya ho aha le ho ntjhafatsa ditleliniki. Dilemong tse leshome tse fetileng re ahile ditleliniki tse 52 ka ditjeo tse etsang dimilione tse R28, 063,979 ra ntjhafatsa tse 59 ka ditjeo tse etsang dimilione tse R26, 241,987. Tleliniki ena ya Ladybrand e ahuwe ka ditjeo tse etsang dimilione tse R1, 850, 000. Hara tse ding tsa dibaka tse teng ka hara tleliniki ena re na le phaposi ya tshohanyetso (emergency room), kantoro tsa tsamaiso (administration offices), sebaka sa boemelo (waiting area), diphaposi tse tharo tsa tshebeletso (consultation rooms), sebaka sa meriana (dispensary), jwalo jwalo. Re ya tseba kaofela mona hore tleliniki e neng e le teng kwano ha se tleliniki e neng e le maemong a matle ho ka ananela baahi ba kwano. Ke ka hoo re boneng ho le bohlokwa hore re potlakise kaho ya tleliniki ena eo re e bulang kajeno, hore ditshebeletso tsa mantlha tseo re dulang re di toboketsa re le mmuso ona wa ANC di tsebe ho phethahala. Re ile ra tshepisa hore sena se tla etsahala mme ke sena se ya etsahala.

This clinic sees patients from the following areas: Ladybrand Town; Manyatseng; Mauersneck; Surroung farms; and Lesotho residents. The services provided by the clinic include the following: Comprehensive Primary Health Care services; Child Health Services; Expanded Programme on Immunisation; Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses; Maternal Health Services; Reproductive Health Services; Antenatal and Postnatal Care; Health Promotion; Chronic Diseases; Hypertension; Diabetes; Asthma; Epilepsy; Mental Health Illnesses; Pulmonary Tuberculosis; Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS; Rehabilitation Services; Nutrition; and Environmental Health. The diseases that present from the catchment areas include hypertension; diabetes; asthma; minor ailments such as stress related illnesses; and respiratory illnesses. Sexually transmitted infections, HIV and AIDS also present at this clinic. The staff at the clinic consists of one Senior Professional Nurse; one Professional Nurse; two General Assistants; one Clerk and one Lay Counsellor.

Motsamaisi wa mosebetsi, jwalo ka ha ke ne ke hlalositse kaho le ntjhafatso ya ditleliniki ke karolo ya bohlokwa ya ho fana ka ditshebeletso tsa bophelo bo botle tsa mantlha. Kahoo ditshebeletso tsa mantlha di ke ke tsa ba teng meahong e seng e kgathetse mme e sa kgoneng ho amohela baahi ka bongata. Ke kahoo tleliniki ena e ahuweng hore morero ona wa ho fana ka ditshebeletso tsa mantlha ho lona le le baahi o se ke wa nyopa.

Honoured guests, I have noted that as this government we have placed a particular emphasis on the building and upgrading of clinics as a way of making health services accessible to our people even in the remotest of areas. This clinic is not an exception or an isolated incident.

Just to illustrate my point, during the month of November 2003, seven clinics newly built and upgraded clinics were officially opened in the province. These clinics are situated across the length and breadth of our province. For example, during the month of November 2003 clinics were opened at Theunissen, Lindley, Thaba Nchu, Welkom, Kroonstad. On 17 February 2004 another clinic was opened at Thaba Patchoa, which is one of the secluded or isolated areas of our province. More clinics that still have to be at the moment include Thusong clinic in Mangaung, Gaongalelwe clinic in Thaba Nchu, Clarens clinic, Bophelong clinic in Vrede, Warden clinic, Itumeleng clinic in Jaggersfontein and several others. On 11 March 2004, while another clinic was officially opened in Boshoff, a sod turning ceremony was also conducted for the building of a Community Health Centre at Dealsville. All these developments underscore the commitment of this government in bringing quality health services closer to our people where they live.

Programme director, ladies and gentlemen, it is my understanding that these clinics are built in partnership with municipalities. I cannot over-emphasise the significance of this partnership. These spheres of government, that is Local and Provincial Government, run health services as a concurrent function. It is important, therefore, that we must collaborate in this process of building clinics. I have been reliably informed that since this partnership for the building of clinics began the period of building the clinics has been drastically reduced. The construction of this specific clinic started on 2 April 2003 and was completed on 31 October 2003. It is clear that as a result of this partnership the clinic building process in this province has been given impetus, as we are able to complete the clinics timeously. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Mangaung Municipality for its co-operation in the building of this clinic.

Bomme le bontate, mmuso ona wa rona o shebane le diphephetso tse ngata ka ntle le kaho ya ditleliniki. Ke batla ho toboketsa hore mmuso ha o a shebana le mosebetsi wa ho aha le ho ntjhafatswa ditleliniki feela. Diphephetso tse ding tse teng di kenyelletsa ditshebeletso tsa tshohanyetso moo teng re tlamehang ho netefatsa hore makoloi a rona a tshohanyetso kapa diambulanse le makoloi a bakudi bao e seng ba tshohanyetso a lekane hore a kgone ho fihlella baahi ka nako. Ka hlakoreng le leng re shebane le mosebetsi wa hore meriana e dula e le teng dibakeng tsa rona tsa ditshebeletso ka ditjeo tse hodimo, jwalo jwalo. E nngwe ya diprograma tse maleba le kaho ya ditleliniki ke programa ya ho ntlafatswa ha meaho ya rona ya dipetlele.

Ho hlakile he hore mosebetsi oo re tshwaraneng le ona ke o moholo mme diphephetso di sa le ngata. Boipiletso ba ka ke batla ho bo lebisa ho baahi hammoho le basebeletsi ba lefapha ba dibakeng tsena tsa tshebeletso. Ho baahi, ho bohlokwa hore re baballe meaho ena ya rona hammoho le disebediswa tse ka hara yona mme re e boulele. Mmuso ona wa rona o etsa ho tlala seatla ho phethisa ditshepiso le boitlamo boo o bo entseng ba ho fetola maphelo a batho. Empa morero le boitlamo bona bo tla nyopa ha setjhaba se sa bapale karolo ya sona. Ho basebeletsi ba lefapha, ke rata ho ipiletsa hore tshwaro ya bakudi ka hara dibaka tsa rona tsa tshebeletso jwaloka ditleliniki e be e tswileng matsoho mme re fokotse ditletlebo tseo hangata re yeng re difumane ho tswa ho baahi. Ha se meaho ena feela e tla etsang hore ditshebeletso e be tsa mantlha, empa le tsela eo re tshwereng bakudi ka yona.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, I further want to take this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders involved in the preparation for this important occasion during which we are now officially handing over this clinic to the community of Ladybrand. I want to thank the community of Ladybrand itself for the patience it has exercised for this day to arrive. The clinic is now in your hands. Through the clinic committee you need to make sure that this clinic is well looked after. The environment around this clinic must be attractive to those utilising the services here and those passing by. It is the responsibility of the community as well to ensure that this place is not vandalised. Government cannot afford to keep on building facilities, which would constantly be ransacked by the very same communities they were built for. Protect your own facilities so that they can serve you well.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Health, Free State Provincial Government
31 May 2004

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