Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Official Opening of the Dr Pixley Ka Seem Memorial Hospital, KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal

Programme Director, MEC for Health, Ms. Nomagugu Simelane,
Minister of Health, Dr. Joe Phaahla,
Premier of KwaZulu/Natal, Ms. Nomusa Dube-Ncube,
MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr. Siboniso Duma,
Members of the family of Dr. Pixley Isaka Ka Seme present here today,
Representatives of the Dr. Pixley Isaka Ka Seme Foundation,
Representatives of political parties,
Traditional leadership present,
Representatives of the interfaith community,
Representatives of civil society organisations
Members of the community,
Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sanibonani.

It is an honour to be here at this official opening of Dr Pixley Isaka Ka Seme Memorial Hospital.

There can be no more befitting a name for this facility than that of the great Dr. Pixley Isaka Ka Seme, a man who was the moving spirit behind the formation of the African National Congress, the oldest liberation movement in the African continent.

He was a committed Pan-Africanist and a humanist, who famously spoke of a brighter day rising upon Africa; and of an Africa whose sons and daughters who would one day walk in the light of progress, freedom and equality.

Dr. Pixley Ka Seme's life embodied service, fortitude, and commitment to the betterment and upliftment of the human condition.

His was a life lived in the service of others, which is the motto of the healthcare sector.

The opening of this hospital reflects government’s commitment to advancing the call made by the Freedom Charter for free medical care and hospitalisation to be provided for all, and for the health of women and children to be prioritised.

This facility has been built in response to the growing pressing healthcare needs of the approximately 1,5 million residents of Kwa-Mashu, Inanda, Ntuzuma and the surrounding communities in northern Durban.

It will relieve pressure on the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Addington Hospital, and will cater for inpatients at a regional level, with referrals from surrounding district level facilities.

Last month the results of Census 2022 were released by Statistics South Africa.

The data points not just to a growing population, but confirms that the vast majority of South Africans rely on the public sector to meet their healthcare needs.

Another report published this month by Stats SA furthermore points to the growing healthcare burden of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cancers and others.

With more people living with non-communicable diseases it is essential that healthcare systems respond accordingly at a primary healthcare level, particularly with regards to regular screening to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.

This facility will play a critical role in this regard.

It is pleasing to note that the hospital has an active Primary Health Care outreach programme that is bringing much-needed healthcare services closer to the people.

The commissioning of this hospital was implemented in a phased approach from August 2021.

First radiology was commissioned, followed by optometry and dermatology, and the migration of Internal Medicine from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital. In January this year, the Emergency Department commenced with providing services. Currently all emergency cases in the North of eThekwini are taken directly from the scene, from primary healthcare centers, community healthcare centers and district hospitals.

This facility offers an impressive range of services including Critical Care, Dental, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychological Services, Dietetics, Audiology, Social Work and many more.

The hospital also has a strong academic and research component and is one of the centers for postgraduate medical training, as well as providing rotation for final year medical students from the University of KwaZulu/Natal.

This hospital is also the first government hospital in the province to adopt an insourced model in components such as Security, Cleaning, Laundry and Food Services.

With respect to human resources, out of the approved hospital establishment of 1 513, a total of 1 383 posts have already been filled as of end September 2023.

The construction of the facility itself supported job creation and small business development.

I am also told that the building is environmentally friendly and used green building principles in construction, and endeavours to reduce its carbon footprint with energy-saving lighting and rainwater harvesting.

We have no doubt that the Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital will improve the health outcomes of all the communities it serves.

We have no doubt that the people of this community and of this province know that we are government that prioritises the needs of all, but especially of society’s most vulnerable.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Next year we will mark 30 years of democracy. It will be a time to reflect on how far we have come in realising the aspirations of the Freedom Charter, our Constitution with its Bill of Rights, and our National Development Plan.

That we are a country that is able to provide quality healthcare services, free, to the population can certainly be counted as amongst our greatest achievements.

That we are moving ahead with the introduction of National Health Insurance that will further democratise access to healthcare services, is something of which we can be proud.

Our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, together with the experiences of other developing countries, exposed the fragilities of global cooperation in health.

We were confronted with a stark reality of being pushed to the back of the queue when it came to accessing life-saving medical supplies and equipment, and vaccines.

We learned that when it came to the saving of lives some lives were deemed more worth saving than others. We were reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr: when he said: “of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.”

And yet even amidst that trauma there was a silver lining.

That experience forced us to introspect and to act to strengthen our own health systems so we are better prepared for the health emergencies of the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For Dr. Pixley Isaka Ka Seme and the pioneers of his generation, the gulf of inequality was race-based. Today, under democracy, that divide is one of class, and of socio-economic status.

This hospital stands as a testament to our commitment as a government to ensure that the right to life, the right to quality healthcare, and the right to equality will never be qualified, or determined on the basis of where you live, or how much or little you have.

This world-class facility is for the people of KwaZulu/Natal, and we entrust it to them.

Take care of it. Be proud of it.

Work with us to ensure that all benefit from the services it provides, and do not allow it to be vandalised or misused.

I wish to salute our healthcare professionals at this hospital, in the province and across the country for their efforts to ensure that our people receive quality healthcare, and for helping us to build a single, unified health system.

I congratulate all who have made this milestone possible, names too many to mention. It has been a long journey but we have gotten here.

Let us continue in our efforts to be at the service of the South African people. Let us leave no-one behind.

I thank you.