25 October 2007
This day marks an exciting milestone in our quest as a Department to improve the quality of health care delivery to our people and also in our endeavours to encourage our people to take charge of their health status.
It is well known that quality health care depends firstly on Health Care services being accessible and affordable. Secondly quality health depends on the meaningful interaction between health staff and patients or community that receive such services. In other words the services that we deliver must respond to the needs of our communities.
This should allow the community to have improved access to the services that are rendered at the hospital and also ensure that they understand which services are delivered at the hospital. That will create a platform whereby the hospital interacts better with the community.
I would like to emphasize that our health is in our hands. Without healthy lifestyles, our quest to deliver better services to our people will remain a distant dream. We need to change our lifestyles in order to reduce the risk factors that contribute to ill health.
Heart disease, diabetes and hypertension are closely linked to opportunistic illness associated with unhealthy lifestyles.
The message I want to convey today is: what you eat shapes your health. Healthy eating habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack. A healthy diet means choosing the correct foods and preparing foods in a healthy way.
One is tempted to ask how often many of you exercise. There are many ways a person can lead a healthy life by exercising. You do not have to be a member of a gym in order to exercise. Walking and jogging go a long way in ensuring a healthy body. All physical activity adds up to a healthier heart. It does not need to be included in a structured exercise program. That will help us to manage our weight and reduce the level of cholesterol.
Our commitment to ensure that our people have better improved access to health services saw us investing in the improvements that we witness today. It is therefore not surprising that Leratong won an award as the best hospital in the province.
Leratong is a regional hospital, serving the entire West Rand population, including some pockets of Soweto, Braamfisherville, etc.
It therefore gives me pleasure to be part of this momentous event where this hospital is increasing its bed capacity from 717 to 747.
A mixed 22 bedded step-down ward for patients that are ready to be discharged and those awaiting placement had been established. Nine bedded Kangaroo Mother Care Unit had also been established. The hospital has also commissioned an eight bedded cubicle for centralization of awaiting trail prisoners in order to ensure safety of staff and other patients.
A new pharmacy has been built at the cost of R17 million. And the Hospital's main corridors have been renovated; fascia boards replaced and leaking roofs fixed at a cost of R17 million. The upgrading and installation of additional 45 CCTV cameras have been installed will go along way towards improving security at the hospital.
The implementation of these initiatives calls for commitment and dedication and we must therefore be able to build on our achievements to ensure a better quality of life for all people.
I thank you.