Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson, Professor Somadoda Fikeni, has commended the interventions by Mpumalanga Health Department to deploy 19 more ambulances in the province in the beginning of the new financial year.
Director of Primary Health Care in Nkangala District, Dr Cheryl Nelson made the announcement during PSC’s Citizens’ Forum held in Nokaneng Stadium on Friday.
Nelson informed the community of Dr JS Moroka Municipality that of the 19 ambulances, nine will be dispatched to the municipality in April 2023.
She also announced that, in the next financial year, the department has a priority list to fill in vacancies in order to be able to respond effectively to the health needs of the region.
The interventions follow complaints from residents of Dr JS Moroka Municipality.
“These interventions are encouraging and it shows that the inter-governmental cooperation and public participation processes such as the Citizens’ Forums do work and we intend to continue with them in the interest of service delivery that is responsive and accountable to the people,” Fikeni said.
Fikeni also commended the provincial government and the local municipality for the cooperation that ensured the success of the forum.
The Citizens’ Forum is an integral part of the work of the Commission to interface with communities, listen to their grievances and mobilise state departments to intervene on issues raised.
The Department of Health was on site and offered services such as COVID-19 vaccination, eye testing and other relevant health services.
Other interventions included areas relating to agricultural resources, reliable supply of water and addressing issues of substance abuse.
Resident from Sehoko, Prudence Sefike welcomed the commitment to deploy the mobile clinics to service remote areas of the municipality.
“We have had the service before and it was discontinued, and as a result many people, especially the elderly suffered. So the announcement to bring mobile clinics will bring much needed relief,” Sefike said.
The traditional leadership of the area also commended government’s efforts to address the socio-economic conditions of the people of the area. – SAnews.gov.za
