By Noluthando Mkhize
Mahikeng - The North West Provincial Government has kept its promise to upgrade hospitals, nursing colleges and health centres in the province.
Premier Thandi Modise said in her State of the Province Address in Mahikeng on Friday that the extension of Mmabatho and Excelsius nursing colleges were currently underway, and the planning of the Moses Kotane, Potchefstroom, Lichentenburg and Taung nursing schools were at advanced stages.
The Brits Hospital, which fell under the hospital revitilisation programme, was 96 percent complete.
Modise receive applauds when she told the Legislature that her province was the first to cure Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) Tuberculosis. “The province treatment outcome also improved from 40.3 percent to 69.8 percent with patients defaulting treatment also showing decrease from 10.8 per cent to 7.8 percent. These MDR and XDR cure rates are the best in the country.”
She added that the National Health Insurance pilot programme in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District was making progress despite the late loading of grant funding.
Further to this, the first human breastmilk bank in partnership with the North West University, the kangaroo mother care and maternal waiting home for patients from remote areas was established to improve access to health care for pregnant women and reduce maternal deaths. - SAnews.gov.za
