Mamelodi - South African primary health care (PHC) has received a multi-million rand donation from the European Union to assist the country in improving its access to public health services.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and the European Union Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, have jointly launched a R1.2 billion Primary Health Care Sector Policy Support Programme, which will contribute to the government's key objectives for the South African health sector.
The programme is designed to assist the South African government to improve quality of and access to primary health care services; fight HIV/Aids and TB and improve maternal and child health - goals which are informed by the National Service Delivery Agreement, South African priorities and the NSP for HIV and Aids (2011 - 2014).
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, Motsoaledi said that the support comes at the right time when the department was busy re-engineering PHC, which is part of strengthening the country's health system.
On how the fund would be used, Motsoaledi explained that the re-engineering of the health care system would be according to three streams including the district based model, where a team of five specialists or clinicians -- including advanced midwives, senior primary care nurse, principal family physician, principal paediatrician and principal obstetrician -- would be deployed in each district.
"These teams will specifically focus on maternal and child mortality. This will help us to arrive at our MDGs," said Motsoaledi.
The second stream is a Schools Health Programme to be launched with the Ministers of Basic Education and Social Development, where permanent nurses would be deployed in schools to provide PHC.
"A task team has been put together and invited retired nurses to help run the programme and sofar, 500 nurses have responded," he said, adding that 8 000 poor schools, who are in dire need of nurses, have been identified to start the programme.
In the third stream, the Ward Based PHC programme, Motsoaledi explained that 10 well trained PHC workers would be deployed in each ward of every hospital in South Africa to make PHC a reality in the country.
"This programme is meant to strengthen the partnerships within communities to improve health service delivery in the nodal areas of the country."
Piebalgs noted that improving access to quality health care services at the most basic level for all, especially the most vulnerable, is a major challenge for South Africa and health promotion and health prevention will have their part to play.
"The programme is a clear example of the solidarity we feel with the South African population. I hope that it will indeed help improve the health outcomes of South Africa and reduce maternal and child mortality... These are laudable goals and they deserve our full support," said Piebalgs. - BuaNews
