The Mpumalanga Department of Health hosted a departmental infrastructure indaba at ANEW Hotel on Friday, April 17. The event was led by the MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini.

“The infrastructure indaba is an important platform that seeks to reimagine and strengthen the role of infrastructure in delivering inclusive and quality healthcare for all, ensuring that no one is left behind,” she said.

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According to Manzini, a unified approach ensures that infrastructure development is guided by clinical needs, and that clinical services are supported by appropriate, responsive infrastructure.
“Our responsibility, therefore, is clear: to close the gap between these functions and foster a culture of co-ordination, accountability and shared purpose.”

Manzini said that in doing so, the department will be better positioned to fulfil the constitutional and moral obligation of delivering quality healthcare services to the more than 5.1m people of Mpumalanga.

She added that effective healthcare delivery rests on the foundation of functional, safe, compliant and well-maintained infrastructure.

“Without this foundation, even the most skilled healthcare professionals are constrained in their ability to provide optimal care. As we convene here today, we must reaffirm that hospitals, clinics, community healthcare centres and emergency facilities are not merely physical structures.”

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Manzini highlighted that there should be no separation between clinical planning and infrastructure planning. She said misalignment leads to inefficiencies, delays, and, in some cases, compromised care.