Health MEC dedicates new hospital ward to Mandela
“We are doing this for former President Nelson Mandela, who said that pregnant women and their unborn babies must get free health care.”
These were the words of the MEC for Health in Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, when she opened and handed over the newly revamped maternal and child ward at the FH Odendaal Hospital, in Modimolle, on Thursday, 18 April.
The pediatric ward is a 20-bed unit, which includes four isolation wards, a procedure room, a milk room, a doctor’s room, equipment rooms, storage rooms for linen and medicine, and a nursing staff room. It also has indoor and outdoor play areas to help stimulate patients with severe acute malnutrition and cerebral palsy. This ward caters for patients aged 1 to 12 months.
The maternal side will accommodate both mothers and neonates. It has rooms for mothers, kangaroo mother care rooms for moms with underweight babies, and two post-natal units for moms who had cesarean operations (c-sections). There is also a seven-bed neonatal ICU unit, with radiant warmers, incubators, phototherapy equipment, and CPAP machines. The dedicated milk room will be of much help to mothers who need to express milk or those who feed formula milk. There is an isolation ward for babies admitted from home.
“We are thrilled to see the completion of the newly revamped pediatric ward, a vital component of our healthcare facility. It will provide quality care, support, and resources to help children recover quickly and safely,” said Dr Ramathuba. “This is the completion of the maternal and child health complex unit, as committed in the previous financial year. The opening of the pediatric ward at FH Odendaal Hospital marks the fulfillment of a commitment made by the MEC of prioritizing maternal and child health,” the department said in a statement.
New units: Hundreds operated during health outreach
The next day, Friday 19 April, the MEC attended a sod-turning ceremony at the Tshamahansi Clinic in the Mokopane Municipality. A maternal and child healthcare unit will be built at the clinic.
The department also opened a new Mental Health Care Unit at Ellisras Hospital in Lephalale. This modern new 17-bed unit with its five seclusion wards is the first dedicated mental health care unit in the Waterberg District.
During her visits to several hospitals, Dr. Ramathuba showed her support to the medical and dental specialists who participated in the Waterberg Rural Health Matters outreach programme. This programme took place from 14 – 21 April at several hospitals in the Waterberg district, to tackle surgical and medical backlogs, impart skills, and bring specialists to attend to cases across the province.
In seven days, 640 patients were operated on, according to the department. Specialists were stationed at several hospitals to assist with treatment: Ellisras Hospital performed general surgery, Thabazimbi Hospital focussed on ophthalmology, George Masebe Hospital (Mokopane) did maxillofacial surgery, Witpoort Hospital (Lephalale) focussed on obstetrics and gynecology, Voortrekker Hospital (Mokopane) attended to ear, nose and throat specialties, urology and orthopedics. At the FH Odendaal and MDR hospitals in Modimolle ophthalmologists assisted patients, while Bela-Bela Hospital performed orthopaedic surgery and Mokopane Hospital focused on orthopedics and radiology.
