MEC takes rural health matters campaign to local municipality

SEKHUKHUNE – The Limpopo MEC for health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, led a team of medical specialists to render services at the hospitals in the Sekhukhune District Municipality.

The MEC and her team commenced with their programmes on February 21, and these will be completed on February 27.

This is a continuation of the planned Rural Health Matters outreach programme, which stands to benefit people from disadvantaged communities. It is through this programme that rural hospitals increase local access and allow patients to focus on getting better rather than getting to appointments. The team includes but are not limited to paediatric surgeons, ophthalmologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, radiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, urologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, maxillofacial surgeons, anaesthesiologists and general surgeons, who are expected to spend the whole week clearing surgical and medical backlogs, transferring skills and exposing specialists to the entire district as well as consulting all those who have been waiting to be seen in tertiary hospitals.

The team of specialists will be stationed at Philadelphia, Groblersdal, Matlala, Jane Furse, Dilokong, St Ritas and Mecklenburg hospitals.

“This past week, our team of orthopaedics were busy clearing the orthopaedics cases in Philadelphia and Tshilidzini hospitals, and this week, we are at Sekhukhune District’s hospitals to continue serving our people through the programme. What brings joy to us is that we will be joined by specialists from other provinces who are here volunteering their service for the benefit of our people from disadvantaged communities,” said Ramathuba.