NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 347
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17 September 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 26)
Mr O de Beer (COPE-WC) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether he has been informed of the situation in Merweville (details
furnished); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what
steps will be taken to improve (a) access to basic health services and
(b) the roads in order to give emergency vehicles access to Merweville
during bad weather;
(2) whether any plans are in place to (a) educate and (b) offer first aid
training to local people in order to contribute positively to the
skills shortage in the area; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details?
CW443E
REPLY:
1) (a) The Department is currently working on the Strategy to improve
access to health services by the community. The Hospital
Revitalisation Programme is currently improving access to the
hospitals while Provincial Infrastructure grant dealing with improving
access of all primary health facilities including mobile facilities.
b) There is a problem with the road infrastructure to the area
however the improvement of the roads infrastructure lies with
the Department of Transport.
2) Merwerville forms part of the Provincial Health Ministerial Project in
the Western Cape, EMS has a small station at Leeu-gamka, which
services a call per day on average at Merweville.
Emergency Services has plans to equip the community with basic first
aid training, particularly the local SAPS who are first responders to
some emergency cases.
END.