Address by the MEC for health and Social Development Mr
Seaparo Sekoati on the occasion of handover of Mobile Eye Care Clinic to
Transnet Foundation
19 September 2006
Venue: Tzaneen Railway Station
Programme
Director
The Mayor of Tzaneen
Clr
O.J.Mushwana
South African Police
Services
Provincial Commissioner
Mr. C.N Sengani CEO of
Transnet Foundation
Ms. Eunice Maluleke MD of Nissan
Mr
Julio Panama
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
First and foremost I feel honoured to represent the Department of Health and
Social Development in Limpopo at today’s launch of the mobile eye care clinic.
South Africa’s primary health care history has been touched on today and
although the vision of providing equitable health care access for all is a
noble one, it has not been without its challenges.
The majority of our population - 80 percent - depends on the country’s public
health care services. Strain is added to an already overloaded system, given
the high incidence of HIV / AIDS and rising TB rates.
And the drain on key medical personnel, whose skills are being poached by First
World countries, is exacerbating the situation. Mention has also been made of
the challenges in reaching our communities, of which they are spread in our
vast province covering more than 120 thousand square kilometers.
Although there are 39 hospitals and 408 clinics and 28 Community Health Care
Centres catering for a population of around 5.6 million remains a challenge.
Against this background, one has a sense of how welcome the Phelophepa health
care train is when visiting this part of the country, bringing much-needed
medical relief to a sizable number of our population – and more importantly
affordable assistance since many of these rural communities are impoverished.
Provision of health care services cannot be left to government alone. Healthy
lives mean our people need to have houses, proper sanitation, clean water and
sustainable livelihoods.
We need integrated developmental approach, individuals, families, communities,
the private sector and civil society organisations to be involved in
fastracking the development of our people and our country.
Such initiatives that support government achieve its goal of providing equal
health care access for all are welcome. While many private companies, NGOs and
donor organisations are assisting in enhancing South Africa’s health care
system, the Phelophepa train is a shining example of a success story.
As the Transnet Foundation’s flagship project in terms of socio-economic
upliftment, it has attracted a number of donors and sponsors, who not only
value the association with an initiative of this calibre, but who also
understanding that their contribution is really making a difference in people’s
lives.
We have witnessed this today in Nissan’s collaboration with the Transnet
Foundation. The mobile eye care clinic aims to enhance the eyesight of our
country’s youth – young people whose vision, in the figurative sense, will lead
our country in the future.
It is these types of strategic partnerships which will gradually close the gap
between rich and poor in our country – a gap which President Mbeki intimated at
a National Health Summit in 2001 is “one of the gravest threats to the
stability of our young democracy.
” But he went on to say that “every action that bridges the gap, every measure
that puts the brakes on the further marginalisation of the poorest among us
helps us to build our future and sustain our democracy.”
The Phelophepa health care train and the mobile eye care clinic, which will
enhance the excellent services the train already provides, are examples of
interventions that will go a long way to redressing the imbalances of the past,
and lead the way to a “healthy” future for all South Africans.
On behalf of the Department of Health and Social Development and the people of
Limpopo I welcome the handover of the Mobile Eye Care Clinic by Nissan South
Africa to Transnet Foundation.
I thank you.
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