The opening of the community health centre in Ba-Ga Mothibi, North West, is a reaffirmation of the right to human dignity and basic services, says Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
Mashatile on Friday officiated the opening of the Ba-Ga Mothibi Community Health Centre.
“The Ba-Ga Mothibi Community Health Centre stands amongst the best in our country, and I would even dare to say, on the African continent.
“I am honoured to be part of today’s important gathering in celebrating another milestone in the improvement of service delivery to our people through the official opening of this centre,” said Mashatile.
The launch of the clinic is in line with the Thutsa Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme in Sekhing Village, in the greater Taung Local Municipality in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.
Mashatile commended the North West provincial government for their commitment to focus on job creation and accelerated service delivery, under the umbrella of the Thuntsa Lerole Intervention.
He explained that the Thuntsa Lerole Intervention is aligned with the District Development Model (DDM), which is designed to address problems with service delivery by allowing all spheres of government, from local municipalities to national government, to work together in a more effective and coordinated way.
“The DDM enables all spheres of government to better plan, budget and implement projects and programmes. Communities will undoubtedly benefit from more integrated service delivery as a result of this commitment and collaborations directed by the DDM.
“The backlog in housing delivery remains a challenging issue for the government. Education has always been our top priority for the government. We pledged to improve the quality of education, and achieve universal access and equal opportunities for all,” Mashatile said.
Mashatile said healthcare has been a critical focus for government.
“The promise to provide accessible and quality healthcare to all South Africans led to the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
“The aim was to ensure that everyone, regardless of their financial circumstances, would have access to quality healthcare services.
“However, the introduction of the NHI [National Health Insurance] has been slow, and the healthcare system still grapples with issues such as overburdened public hospitals, a shortage of medical staff, and unequal access to quality care,” the Deputy President said.
Mashatile said accelerated service delivery, like the Thuntsha Lerole Programme, is not a luxury but a necessity.
“It is a human right, as enshrined in our Constitution. It is the key to unlocking the full potential of our communities and ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.
Source: South African Government News Agency