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Mineral Resources Deputy Minister Godfrey Oliphant, today, 05 December 2017, officially opened the Kuruman One Stop Health Service centre in Kuruman, in the Northern Cape on behalf of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The One Stop Health Service Centre is aimed at providing integrated services to both active and ex-mineworkers where TB and occupational lung disease assessments as well as administrative services for compensation will be delivered.

The centre is a collaboration by various stakeholders led by government and supported by captains of the mining industry, organized labour and current and ex-mineworker associations with the aim to de-centralise services to claimants and beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the centre is part of the Department of Health’s ongoing service roll-out campaign to current and ex-mineworkers following the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s national launch of the Ku-Riha project in Carletonville, Gauteng province in 2015.  The service centres enable government to trace eligible previous and current mineworkers who have not claimed their compensation benefits over the last 30 years after they contracted occupational lung disease during the time they were employed at mines.

In addressing more than 4 000 members of the Kuruman community including ex-mineworkers, the Deputy Minister said there was initially about R1.5 billion available for the compensation of 106 000 unpaid beneficiaries.  Since the launch of One Stop Health Service Centres, the number of unpaid beneficiaries increased by 8320.  The Deputy Minister encouraged ex-mineworkers to visit the service centres as well as the mobile centres in order to check the status of their claims and if they are eligible for compensation.

Amongst other dignitaries who attended the event were Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Zoe Kota-Fredericks, Northern Cape MEC for Health, Mr Lebogang Motlhaping, senior government officials, representatives of the mining industry and trade unions.

The Deputy Minister has reiterated that government together with various stakeholders will continue to work together to provide health care services to improve the living and working conditions of current and ex-mineworkers.

Issued by the Department of Mineral Resources