Question NW1463 to the Minister of Health
02 June 2023 - NW1463
Madlingozi, Mr BS to ask the Minister of Health
Given that the Mamelodi Hospital still takes on the majority of level 2 healthcare patients from Mpumalanga, even though the specified province has its own healthcare facilities, (a) does Mpumalanga have post level 1 healthcare facilities, (b) what steps are being taken by his department to resolve the crisis on a more permanent basis and (c) which facilities are being developed and capacitated in Mpumalanga to cater for the various health needs of the persons who reside in the province?
Reply:
a) Yes, Mpumalanga has post level 1 healthcare facilities as follows:
- 2 x Tertiary Hospital offering level 3 &2 services namely Rob Ferreira and Witbank tertiary hospitals.
- 3 x Regional Hospitals offering level 2 &1 services namely Ermelo, Mapulaneng and Themba regional hospitals.
b) The National Department of Health in collaboration with the Mpumalanga department of health are working on the improvement of some key services as indicated in response(c) below.
The Mpumalanga department of health is only referring level 3 cases to Steve Biko and George Mukhari Academic hospitals for services that the province doesn’t have, for example Cardiology Services and Oncology Radiation Services.
Patients who are going to Mamelodi hospital are going there on their own accord and they are not being referred by the province because those services are available and accessible to the Mpumalanga communities.
c) The Mpumalanga Department of Health has already established the Chemotherapy services at the Witbank and Rob Ferreira hospitals. Patients in need of this service are no longer being taken to Gauteng.
The province is currently processing the establishment of Nephrology Service to have the in-house dialysis services for patients. The province has started with phase 1 planning for the upgrading the Maternity and Mental health Units at the Kwa Mhlanga hospital. The plan is to expand more services until all domains are covered however this depends on the availability of funds.
END.