Pretoria- President Jacob Zuma is to visit the Limpopo province as part of the Presidential Performance Monitoring and Evaluation programme on health.
"This is a hands-on monitoring of the implementation of the government programme against the twelve outcomes. The Limpopo visit will focus on the Health Outcome, which is intended to ensure that all South Africans live a long and healthy life," said the Presidency on Sunday.
Zuma will be in Limpopo on Thursday. This is a second visit following the Eastern Cape visit in June where the key focus was on education.
During the visit, the President and his delegation will assess the state of health facilities and later hold a meeting with the Provincial Executive Council.
The President will be accompanied by Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane and Deputy Minister Dina Pule, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Deputy Minister Dr Gwen Ramakgopa, Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale as well as Limpopo Members of the Executive Council (MECs).
While on his fact finding mission Zuma will visit the Siloam Hospital in the Vhembe District and Lebowakgomo Hospital in the Capricorn District, while the ministers and deputy ministers will cover 6 other hospitals and clinics in all five districts simultaneously. Zuma will then meet for report backs with the EXCO.
The President and his delegation will monitor and evaluate progress made by government against the four health outputs to improve the state of the public health system namely increasing life expectancy; decreasing maternal and child mortality rates; combating HIV and Aids and decreasing the burden of diseases from tuberculosis as well as strengthening health system effectiveness.
In line with national efforts to reinvigorate the public health system through the implementation of the new re-engineered Primary Health Care (PHC) model, all Limpopo health districts are providing school health services. Additionally plans are also underway for the establishment of ward-based PHC Teams and district-based Medical Specialist Teams which places emphasis on the delivery of community-based health care.
"Significant progress has also been made with improving the delivery of health facilities, focusing on all four components of infrastructure; health technology; organisational development and ensuring the quality of health services. The province has completed assessments and begun to implement quality improvement projects."
Despite inroads made the province still faces challenges such as child and women mortality and severe shortages in the number of health professionals and specialists.
