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Programme Director; Honoured Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction:

It is a privilege and an honour for me to be here at this historical occasion. For me this process of the revitalisation of this institution is very historical given the history of Pelonomi hospital. Initially built for black people in the dark days of apartheid this institution grew to be the biggest regional hospital in the new dispensation providing secondary hospital services for communities in the Southern Free State and also serving as a referral Trauma centre for the entire Free State. This follows the post-apartheid dispensation restructuring of services. When it embarked on its restructuring process in 1997 the department of health transformed the two big hospitals in Bloemfontein, Pelonomi and Universitas hospitals, the former historically black and the latter historically white, into true non-racial institutions.

This transformation process managed to rid us of the duplications of services and functions that were so much characteristic of the previous dispensation which was racially based. These, ladies and gentlemen, are important landmarks that this ANC-led government has placed on the landscape of this country. In our obsession with the less important things we tend to forget or ignore such important landmarks. Transformation is a painful but necessary exercise. Where would such institutions as Pelonomi hospital be without these necessary and essential steps of reconciling services at these two institution?.

The Benefits of Public Private Partnership:

As already outlined to us in great depth by the Honourable MEC for Health, Ms. Ouma Tsopo, we meet today here at Pelonomi hospital to forge ahead with the programme for the revitalisation of this historical institution. Without the steps that were initially taken by this department to place Pelonomi on its right level as a regional hospital, serving all the people across the colour line we would not be talking about such important things as its revitalisation. For many people who have for years been served by this hospital this could have just been the figment of the imagination. But now this process has become real.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate this department for its innovate and visionary missions. The provision of quality health service in this province is not just a pipedream because of the hard work and dedication by men and women in this department. Although there are still some few and isolated cases of no-performance, on the whole the department is solid in its steps towards the future. On Friday we witnessed a spectacular occasion when this men and women, institutions and offices, were given service excellence awards for the brilliant and self-less work they are doing in this department. We also observed the presentation of the new rescue vehicles that will be saving lives in this province. All these efforts are geared towards quality and excellent service delivery in this department.

Honoured guests, now a further injection of vitality is to take place in this province with the Public Private Partnership that is being signed today between the department and the preferred bidder for the co-location of beds at Pelonomi and Universitas hospital. This partnership will indeed further advance the programme for quality health services in the province. I have no doubt that from this partnership the R100 million needed for the reconstruction of this institution will be realised sooner than later. This amount itself is indeed the reflection of the serious neglect that this and other hospitals suffered in the previous dispensation. The commitment of this government in improving the lives of our people must therefore not be in doubt. We are doing everything in our power to undo the wrongs of decades if not centuries.

Ladies and gentlemen, the benefits of this partnership should also be seen in the broader context of development. Not only will the services improve as a result of the injection of more funds from the private sector. Not only will the infrastructure of Pelonomi be improved as a result of this partnership, but jobs will also be created in the province. There are therefore several positive spin-offs from this vital exercise. The province in its entirety will benefit economically and socially. It is for this reason that the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) recommends that there must be partnerships in the running of services. This brings about many positive developments.

Let me take this opportunity to commend the partners involved in this process, the department of health and the Community Hospital Care Management, for being able to negotiate a deal that is mutually beneficial. It takes a lot of guts to enter into a contract which results in a win-win situation. Let us remember that it is the ordinary people that count the most in everything that we do. I am sure that it is these people that we had in mind when this deal was negotiated.

Conclusion:

Programme director, I know that there are enormous challenges that are still facing the department. However, with the visionary leadership that we have seen I do not doubt that these challenges will be addressed. I want to appeal fro patriotism from the people of this province. The kinds of stories we hear about concerning some health professionals leaving the country for the greener pastures that they have been promised abroad are not impressive. Your brothers and sisters, your mothers and fathers need you services here. If you decide to go and give these services to other more privileged people somewhere, who never had any contribution to your upbringing and education, just in the name of money, then you are doing a lot of disservice to your people.

I thank you.