By Frans Sello waga Machate I Middleburg, South Africa
MIDDELBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa today officially opened the state-of-the-art King Nyabela Hospital, a R1.6 billion facility that marks a significant milestone in government's drive to deliver quality healthcare to all South Africans.
The 220-bed district hospital, built to replace the dilapidated old Middelburg Hospital, will serve more than 240,000 people in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality and surrounding areas of Mpumalanga.
"This is what we mean by comprehensive health care services," President Ramaphosa said at the official opening ceremony in Middelburg today.
The new facility features surgical, medical, paediatric, antenatal, postnatal, neonatal and high-care wards, three world-class operating theatres, a 24-hour Accident & Emergency department, and comprehensive outpatient services including pharmacy, TB and HIV management, dentistry, eye care, dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and mental health services.
"The scale of this facility is impressive," the President noted, adding that all services previously provided at the old Middelburg Hospital have now been relocated to the new facility, representing "a huge improvement" in quality and range of services.
Mpumalanga Premier, Mandla Ndlovu revealed that since 1994, government has built seven new hospitals and 105 clinics in Mpumalanga, with ten more clinics currently under construction. The province is also building Mapulaneng Hospital and planning for a new psychiatric hospital, the only province without one.
"87.4% of our people depend on public health care," Premier Ndlovu stated, while "the majority of the resources are in the private health system". He emphasized that the King Nyabela Hospital "is a clear demonstration of value for money and reflects government's commitment to providing quality healthcare services for our people".
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced that Treasury has established a unit to build 11 new hospitals nationally, including two in Mpumalanga and an academic hospital for the province.
President Ramaphosa reaffirmed government's commitment to the National Health Insurance (NHI), describing it as "about fulfilling the Constitutional right of access to healthcare, without this being dependent on where one lives or one's ability to pay".
"The NHI ensures that all people can access the full range of quality health services they need, where and when they need them without experiencing financial hardship".
Minister Motsoaledi, quoting former WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, declared: "NHI is an equalizer between the rich and the poor". He dismissed critics who oppose the policy, stating that "The real experts around the world who drew that program, gave it to the World Health Organization and the United Nations, that the world needs this".
President Ramaphosa issued a stern warning against those who disrupt public infrastructure projects: "We must be clear that acts of intimidation and violence relating to the construction of public infrastructure will not be tolerated".
He noted that early construction stages faced challenges from "so-called business forums who disrupted the work". "We cannot stand for the construction of hospitals, clinics, roads, dams or any public infrastructure being disrupted to advance some individuals' financial interests".
The President also condemned attempts to deny foreign nationals medical treatment: "Our Constitution says that everyone living in the country has the right to be treated at a hospital or clinic when they need care, whether they are citizens or non-citizens".
"Let us remember our own past, when many of our people were denied care on account of the colour of our skin," he said. "We do not wish to see it revisited on us or on those who have sought refuge in our country".
The hospital is named after King Nyabela ka-Mahlangu, son of King Mabhoko, a fearless warrior and unifier of the Ndzundza Ndebele people who fiercely defended ancestral lands against European encroachment. President Ramaphosa recalled the Mapoch War of 1882-1883 when King Nyabela harboured Pedi King Mampuru II from the Boers.
"Today we honour King Nyabela and we honour all the forebears of the Ndzundza Ndebele people," the President said. "Let this hospital be a living tribute to their resolve, principle and commitment".
The project created over 1,100 work opportunities, including more than 520 for women.
With these words, President Ramaphosa declared the King Nyabela Hospital officially open: "uNyabela nguGijamphezeni kaMabhoko. Asiphile isitjhaba amaNdzundza nabahlezi naso".
