By Staff Reporter
The Free State provincial government visited various hospitals in the province as part of a Mandela Month programme held under the theme ‘It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity’.
MECs had been tasked to visit various hospitals, focusing on resolving maintenance issues, reviving hospital infrastructure, and collectively addressing challenges in the health sector.
Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism MEC Ketso Makume visited the Tokolo Mafube District Hospital in Heilbron on Friday July 26 ,2024 and commended the facility for its community services.
“We engaged with the hospital’s management to find out what we could do to help it become more functional. We joined them in cleaning, washing dishes, doing the laundry, and engaging with patients on the challenges they face.
“I’ve never seen a public hospital as clean as this one. I’ve also never seen the systems, which are put in place where you come in as a patient, and within 10 to 15 minutes you are already being attended to.
“The attitude of both the management and the staff was very welcoming, the patients affirmed to me that they receive this type of attitude and welcome every single time they come to the hospital,” he said.
Free State Executive Council for Finance, Tourism and Economic Development Ketso Makume carrying Essentials which were donated to the paediatric unit.
Acting hospital CEO Sello Mafumane related the challenges of the institution, which range from tools of the trade, to shortage of staff, challenges of beds by the hospital, and Jojo tanks, boreholes, water problems, and the difficulty of opening other wards due to staff shortages.
Ngwathe mayor, Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni, and Makume then painted the EMS station and ramp rails at the Management block until the end of the day.
There was an interruption of water supply in the municipality and the hospital was affected, so the management working with the municipality, and other partners have started looking at options for installing a borehole, said Makume.
“Another one is to approach Rand Water so that when they reduce water supply the hospital, schools, and police stations are exempted.”
