Pretoria - The attainment of goals set for the Health Department's Negotiated Service Delivery Agreement (NSDA) will receive sharp scrutiny as Health Deputy Minister, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa continues to assess the performance of health district services.
Joined by Free-State MEC for Health, Fezi Ngubentombi and senior departmental staff, Dr Ramokgopa will be spending the next two days visiting the Xhariep District health facilities in the Free State.
The team will interact with health care workers, governance structures, patients, general workers and community members.
The Thembalethu clinic in Smithsfield and Diamant District Hospital and Itumeleng clinic in Jagersfontein as well as the construction site where the new district hospital in Trompsburg will be built are to be visited.
"The main goal of these district visits by National Health Ministry is to ensure that all districts in South Africa have capacity to successfully contribute to the attainment of the 'Long and Healthy Life for All' with a specific focus on the NSDA outputs," Ramokgopa said ahead of the visits.
Last year, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and four other Cabinet ministers co-signed an agreement committing to ensuring a healthy life for all South Africans.
Motsoaledi, and the Ministries for Social Development, Water and Environmental Affairs, Correctional Services as well as Rural Development and Land Reform committed to working together to achieve Outcome 2: A Long and Healthy Life for all South Africans.
The Department of Health identified four key output areas for the outcome aimed at increasing life expectancy, decreasing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS and decreasing the burden of diseases from tuberculosis and strengthening health system effectiveness.
The assessments performance of health services started in July 2011, Namaqua and Amathole Districts had been assessed by Ramokgopa during her visits, which took place in August and September 2011.
