Public Protector dialogue takes aim at the Eastern Cape Friday, 26 July 2013, For Immediate Release Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela’s National Stakeholder Dialogue and Public Hearing moves to the Eastern Cape as of Tuesday, 30 July 2013, where she will interact with a network of stakeholders while making time to conduct spot checks at identified public health care facilities in the province. The dialogue aims to strengthen government’s ability to deliver on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with a particular focus on health and poverty eradication. The Public Hearing aspect of it seeks to enrich the Public Protector’s ongoing systemic investigations on health matters. The critical areas under the Public Protector’s microscope –as part of her systemic investigations - include infant mortality, management of healthcare facilities (such as hospitals and clinics), quality of care, resources, procurement, working conditions of staff and other general health issues. The campaign is also looking at whether there is a direct link between maladministration, poor provision of health services and poverty. During her two-day stay in the province, the Public Protector will engage with various stakeholders including members of provincial legislature, government officials, traditional authorities, civil society, political parties, organised women groupings and the general public to get their sense and the problems they are experiencing in the province. The Public Protector’s first stop in the province will be in Ngqamakwe on Tuesday where she will have a public hearing with communities on the health care problems they experience in the area. Her visit in the province will culminate in a formal stakeholder meeting with chief executives from public hospitals, academics, provincial executives and representatives of the health sector NGOs in East London on Wednesday. At the meeting, the Public Protector will share with the provincial executive, complaints she would have received from communities on Tuesday and ask for commitment from the executive to attend to the people’s complaints. The Public Protector has already visited North West, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, where she was met with complaints ranging from lack of medicine in some facilities, short operating hours, lack of medical equipment, shortage of staff and ill-treatment of patients by medical staff. The Public Protector recognizes the excellent work done by the Department of Health thus far and through the public hearings, she seeks to reinforce that work by focusing on trends in maladministration, which have resulted in the systemic investigations she is currently conducting. While the dialogue’s main focus is on health, members of the public will also have an opportunity to discuss other issues relating to service or conduct failure by organs of state. The first event will take place as follows: Date : Tuesday, 30 July 2013 Venue: TRC Hall, Ngqamakwe, Eastern Cape Time : 10h00 NB. On this day at 8:20 in the morning, the Public Protector will conduct an unannounced visit at ………..to interact with patients and staff, checking up on the levels of service, among other things. The second event will be held as follows: Date : Wednesday, 31 July 2013 Venue: Osner Hotel, Quigney, East London Time : 10h00 NB. On this day from 8:00 in the morning, the Public Protector will conduct an unannounced visit and walk abouts at ……or ……. to interact with patients and staff, checking up on the levels of service, among other things. Both events are open to the media and members of the media can confirm attendance with Mr Oupa Segalwe on 072 264 3273 or by mail to [email protected] or Mr Salvation Mokgatlhe on 079 031 5589 or by mail to [email protected] An official #hashtag for the stakeholder consultative dialogue 2013 is #publicprotectorstakeholder2013 and #PPinEC for the Public Protector’s visit in Eastern Cape. For more information, contact: Kgalalelo Masibi (Ms) Spokesperson: Public Protector South Africa 012 366 7153 079 507 0399 [email protected] publicprotector.org 0800 11 20 40 *End*
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:30:27 +0000
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