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Acting Premier of the North West Province, Mr Frans Vilakazi
Executive Mayor of Klerksdorp, Dr Masike
Chief Executive Officer of the hospital complex, Dr Oosthuizen
Senior Managers of the Department of Health,
Members of the Hospital Board,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen

I am honoured to be here today as we celebrate the official opening of new departments in this hospital complex.

I believe that this is a significant development, not only for us in Klerksdorp or the North West, but for the whole country and continent.

Today must be seen as part of our collective efforts towards the creation of a better health service, receptive to the health needs of all our people. These new specialised services are a vital element of the process of ensuring that all our people access quality health services.

In my Budget Speech early last year, I said that Klerksdorp/Tshepong/Potchefstroom/Witrand Hospital complex is a shining example of commitment, courage and passion, without which transformation will remain a pipe dream.

Today is a culmination of months of hard work by the dedicated team of this hospital complex and all of us in the Department of Health at both provincial and national level.

Our determined efforts since 1994 to reduce service delivery backlogs are paying dividends. This is part of the process of freeing our people from the legacy of deprivation and disease. Indeed, the full meaning of freedom will only be realised once all our people are emancipated from the chains of poverty, disease and deprivation.

Government regards the health of our people as inextricably linked to the reconstruction and development of our society.

An investment in the health of our nation is an investment in the productive forces of our country. A healthy nation is a productive nation. The strength of any economy may, in the final analysis, be a reflection of the health status of its people.

No doubt, the opening of these ultra-modern and well-equipped units will go a long way in addressing the challenges of providing quality tertiary care. I am proud to point out that these new units compare favourably with the best in the world.

I am confident that these services will play a vital role in saving the lives and restoring the health of our people.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

The opening of these units increases the capacity and opportunity for public-private partnership. They will certainly put us on par with the best in the private sector. We intend providing the most sophisticated care that will compare well or even surpass the private sector.

We would like to see, in the near future, Medical Aid patients using public facilities without fear of poor quality. Whilst we intend competing with the private sector, we also see the opportunity for public-private partnership.

Our collaboration with Wits University is a clear demonstration of the positive spin-offs that may be derived from public-private partnership.

ACCESS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

All our people, not only of Klerksdorp and of the surrounding areas, will benefit from this development. Through the telemedicine system, we are confident that all our people, irrespective of their geographical location, will be able to access these specialised services.

Through telemedicine, we will ensure that the expertise and resources located at this hospital, and in these units in particular, will be accessible to all our people in the province, country and continent (especially our SADC neighbours).

Telemedicine helps address the acute shortage of medical specialists in the country, especially in rural provinces such as ours. The absence of specialists in disadvantaged areas results in unequal access to quality health care. Through telemedicine, we will address this inequality in health service provision.

In the next three years, we expect fourteen hospitals to have been linked to the telemedicine system.

APPEAL FOR ORGAN DONATION

I am aware that this is a sensitive subject, especially in the African the community. But it is a reality all of us must come to terms with, if we want to contribute to the goal of saving lives.

I am appealing to all people to seriously consider this life-saving option, which in many ways, is an ultimate expression of love to one's fellow citizens.

The success of the Renal Unit, in particular, will depend a great deal on kidney donations.

CONCLUSION

What we have done since 1994 suggests that the challenge of ensuring a better life for all may be daunting, but is certainly not insurmountable. It is a goal that all of us, government and civil society, must continue to pursue with every available enthusiasm at our disposal.

I wish to thank the National Department of Health for their assistance. These units were established with funding from the national department as part of the conditional grant for the equitable redistribution of specialised health care services.

This grant is specifically intended to build capacity in provinces where no academic hospitals were situated as part of an effort to achieve a more equitable distribution of specialised hospital services.

I hope that this hospital complex will continue to live up to its reputation as the safety net in the province - a referral centre for specialist care.

I can conclude, with confidence, that we are on course to deliver quality and comprehensive health services.

Information About Each Unit/Department

RENAL UNIT

The expansion of the already existing renal unit at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital Complex was done due to the high incidence of chronic kidney failure and the increasing need for acute dialysis.

The major cause of chronic kidney failure is uncontrolled blood pressure especially in our black communities. Acute kidney failure can occur due to water loss in the body due to diarrhoea, blood loss due to trauma and pregnancy-related complications like eclampsia where the blood pressure is high.

Dialysis is an expensive mode of treatment. Each dialysis costs about R800 per sitting. A chronic kidney failure patient receives 3 dialysis per week. An acute dialysis may take up to 6 weeks.

Due to budgetary constraints, patients selected for chronic kidney dialysis should pass the strict national guidelines. A multi-professional team of doctors, nurses and social workers assesses this. The ultimate aim is that these patients should be fit for kidney transplantation.

The expanded renal unit can caters for 44 haemodialysis patients and 20 peritoneal dialysis patients. 7 new dialysis machines were bought to achieve this. The unit also has a water purification system and a re-use system for artificial kidneys to reduce the cost of dialysis.

This unit is planned to serve the whole community of the North West province and is supported by the University of Witwatersrand.

It is still a challenge to put patients coming from rural areas in the program mainly because of transport problems. A good family support system is also essential for the success of this program. An alternative method is to put these patients on peritoneal dialysis and we are embarking on a program of training rural doctors and nurses regarding this.

The unit also supports the satellite unit at Mafikeng Provincial Hospital.

Since renal transplantation is the ultimate cure for chronic kidney failure, there is a need to do more of these operations so that more patients can be helped. It is important that people are made aware of the importance of organ donation as a solution to reduce the waiting list for kidney transplantation.

Prevention of chronic kidney failure is still the most important strategy for South Africa. For this, it is important to keep the blood pressure under control. Patients must make use of clinic and hospital facilities to make sure that their blood pressure is well controlled.

ONCOLOGY UNIT

The fact that the North West Province did not have any cancer care services led to the establishment of the oncology unit at Klerksdorp Hospital. Though the province had the capacity to diagnose cancer, patients were sent to Gauteng Province for chemotherapy or radiation treatment. This meant transporting these sick patients to Johannesburg on a daily basis causing immense hardship for the patients.

Cancer treatment is an expensive and specialised mode of treatment. These patients need a lot of emotional and social support and encouragement for the treatment to be successful.

The unit was started as an outpatient service catering to chemotherapy patients. An inpatient ward will soon be opened. The unit is presently catering for around 200 outpatients and around 70 chemotherapy patients every month.

The unit is also run in partnership with NGOs like Hospice for which we are very grateful.

We however need much more participation regarding support from our churches, etc.

Efforts are underway to extend the services for patients requiring radiotherapy as well and possibilities to have a public-private partnership with Wilmed Park Hospital is being explored.

CT SCANNER

The CT scanner is undoubtedly the most important investigative tool that the complex has acquired in its history.

Scanner is an important tool for doctors to diagnose and treat stroke, cerebral haemorrhage, head injuries, various tumours of the body etc. We are utilising the radiologists in the private sector to report on the scans.

This facility is available round the clock. Linking the scanner to a tele-radiology system can further optimise its usage.

STRESS ECG SYSTEM

Heart disease especially coronary artery disease (heart attack, angina) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of our population.

Changing lifestyles has increased the incidence of coronary heart disease in population groups who were previously not affected by this disease.

The Department of Internal Medicine is fully equipped to treat acute heart attacks with immediate thrombolytic treatment and even temporary pacemaker implantation. The Stress ECG system will help to detect early stages of coronary artery disease.

Though a lot of patients can be controlled on medicine alone, this investigation will also pick up patients who need angioplasty treatment and bypass surgery.

MAMMOGRAM

Carcinoma breast and Carcinoma Cervix are the most important preventable cancers in females. Mammogram is a special X-Ray used to screen for the early detection of breast cancer.

The service has already started in Tshepong Hospital. There is a need for an intensive awareness campaign in the community to ensure that this facility is being adequately used.

ICU AMBULANCE

This service will be used when patients are in need of Intensive Care Unit care while transported to the Complex for higher levels of services or from the Complex to Academic Hospitals.

Until now, we had to outsource this service at high cost.

HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DISEASES UNIT

This Unit is at present under construction, although the facility was available and patients in need of this treatment are already being admitted.

The purpose of this unit is specifically to admit patients with highly contagious diseases i.e. Congo fever to a unit where full isolation treatment of an ICU level with full ventilation can be administered.

This unit is a provincial asset as all the other units and the only available one for all patients whether private or public.

MDR TB UNIT

Tuberculosis continues to be one of the major public health problems in the province. Even countries that were thought to be free from TB have seen a re-emergence of TB. This includes the United States, Europe and Canada.

The number of TB patients in the North West has increased from 4 900 in 1995 to over 14 000 in 1998. This is partly due to improved detection of cases by health facilities.

The treatment via the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment: Short Course) is provided to 95% of TB patients who are currently on treatment. The overall TB cure rate has improved to just over 52% during this quarter, from 29% in 1995. The TB treatment interruption rate continues to decline, and currently stands at ˜10% from 24% in 1995.

This unit admits all patients in the province who need isolation and intensive treatment because they suffer from TB - where the organism is resistant to the normal nationally agreed treatment protocols. The unit has an established out-patient and in-patient.

PSYCHIATRIC UNIT

This Unit is at the Witrand Hospital in Potchefstroom. It is a 60-bed unit that will treat all sub-acute patients in need of psychiatric care.

The unit will treat all types of mood and thought disorders referred from anywhere in the Province.

I Thank You

Contact:
Cornelius Monama on 082 578 4063
Nico Masiu on 082 431 9355

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Health, North West, 6 February 2001