PROMOTING the health and wellness of residents is a central priority of this responsive DA-led government and we recognise the challenges faced by many residents in accessing basic primary healthcare.
Appreciating the geographical layout of Tshwane, among other factors, means that access to healthcare facilities is currently a challenge which we are committed to addressing.
Due to the difference in location and income, access is determined not only by the physical location of healthcare facilities but also by affordability of health services. Low levels of access to decent healthcare lead to lower quality of life and have many knock-on effects for a productive economy.
The city has however committed itself to improving access to public health care by:
Developing healthcare capacity based on the services that are rendered by the city, integrating the public and private health care systems and allocating adequate resources to deal with communicable and non-communicable diseases;
Partnering with communities to develop community-based healthcare services, which will allow for flexible delivery of health services while improving the distribution of health information;
Creating strategic partnerships with knowledge and innovation institutions towards developing efficient and effective health solutions; and
Instituting excellence in the provision of health services and monitoring our health outcomes.
We have also increased access to health service whereby services are available from Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4pm and extended from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays at 14 of our 24 facilities.
The full PHC package is provided at all the clinics – ART and ARV roll-out at all our 24 facilities. We have appointed 34 retired nurses on contract to assist critical staff shortages in the PHC clinics.
In August we handed over the Block JJ Clinic in Soshanguve, to the MEC for Health in our province to work jointly with the city in providing quality healthcare services to all in the community. It was clear that the community was in desperate need of a proper health care facility that would cater for all their health needs. The city as a caring government acceded to their call for a proper dignified healthcare facility. The Pharmaceutical section has continuously managed to ensure that more than 90% of essential medicines are available at facilities at all times.
We today announce that the City of Tshwane is in the process of partnering with local pharmacies for the dispensing of this medication to our residents which will alleviate the burden on our clinics.
This will also make it easier for us to bring primary healthcare and medication closer to the people who need it most and avert some of the protracted waiting in queues often suffered by old, ailing and frail residents looking to get much-needed medication.
We will also be launching a multi-region upgrading of clinic dispensaries, to ensure that each LA clinic has a pharmacy according to the national norms and standards.
