Mpumalanga Health deploys full-time doctor to strengthen clinic in eMbalenhle

Mpumalanga Department of Health MEC, Sesekane Manzini, on February 5, introduced Dr Kagiso Masukela as a full-time medical doctor at Paulinah Morapeli Community Health Centre.

This continues the department’s initiative to strengthen healthcare delivery by placing doctors at community health centres across the province.

Manzini said the initiative forms part of the department’s ongoing effort to provide high-quality healthcare services, invest in people as articulated under Government Priority 4, and prepare facilities for the rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

“We wish Dr Masukela every success as she serves our community. We further encourage community members to use these services optimally and responsibly for improved health outcomes,” said Manzini.

She added that the facility would resume operating 24 hours a day from tonight, after night services were previously suspended following an attack on healthcare professionals by community members.

Manzini urged residents to exercise discipline and respect healthcare workers to avoid future disruptions of night-duty services.

She said the programme forms part of the broader government initiative, Ezempilo Ebanwini, aimed at accelerating and improving healthcare services.

“To see people live longer and consistently receive adequate healthcare services is our goal. Through this programme, we visit facilities to evaluate how they are run, identify challenges and determine what needs to be done to ensure services are delivered according to plan,” she said.

“Our objective is to ensure citizens associate the department with positive and inspirational experiences, whether through making ambulances readily available or improving services in other ways.”

Manzini said community healthcare workers are expected to conduct door-to-door visits to monitor patients, detect disease symptoms, assist with medication adherence, and track progress.

“It is also worth mentioning that all the doctors introduced through this initiative are products of government investment aimed at creating professionals at no cost to them, making education accessible and beneficial,” she said.

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As the country prepares for the full rollout of the NHI, Manzini said the department is positioning itself to ensure readiness and success in line with the government’s vision of a healthy, developed society.

“We wish our medical doctors well as they embark on their journey to serve communities with professionalism, dignity and diligence, and we urge communities to cooperate and use these services optimally,” she said.

Manzini also said the doctors that the department is deploying to the clinics will work from Monday to Friday and appealed to the community not to abuse their availability.

“By bringing these doctors it doesn’t mean the day to day run of clinics will change but this is an additional service, our community should not expect that when they went to a clinic they will just go see a doctor, no, the procedure is still the same, they will start from the professional nurse that will examine them then refer them to the doctor’s room, not like previously that they will be referred to hospital because there were no doctors in our clinics, they use to come on certain days but now we have full time doctors,” said Manzini.

Manzini also introduced a doctor at Lebohang Clinic in Leandra.

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