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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has implored the </span><a href=\"https://www.ntabankulu.gov.za/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ntabankulu</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> community to look after a new R680-million hospital that was opened at the weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meth was speaking at the opening of the new </span><a href=\"https://mapcarta.com/14256604\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sipetu Hospital</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Ntabankulu.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said hospitals and health facilities are now also being hit by protection rackets. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where hospitals are not paying, she added, employees and patients are robbed at gunpoint of money and their valuables.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We first saw this with businesses where projects were stopped,” she said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are asking people of this area to protect this facility, protect our employees and patients so that people who are skilled, the professionals don’t run away seeing that their lives are in danger. We have not heard of that this side but we are saying it must not happen,” Meth said.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1791350\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_6019.jpg\" alt=\"Minister of health Dr Joe Phaahla, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyana and MEC Nomakhosazana\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" /> <em>Minister of health Dr Joe Phaahla, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyana and MEC Nomakhosazana Meth speaking with Nomadolo Ntanjana (55) who announced her retirement at Sipetu hospital on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said the Department has also embarked on a project to employ artisans at its hospitals and clinics for maintenance which would mean that they didn’t need to put out tenders for small-scale maintenance.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients who are receiving medical treatment from Sipetu Hospital in Ntabankulu expressed their gratitude after the official opening of the newly constructed state-of-the-art R680 million Sipetu Hospital. Apart from the new building clinical services have also been upgraded. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital sees around 6,000 patients a month.</span>\r\n<h4><b>High hopes for improved service</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new R680-million Sipethu Hospital was opened on 28 July 2023 by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, the Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, and the MEC of Health Nomakhosazana Meth.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital has 160 beds.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some patients believe that the new facility will change their lives after many years of being referred to other hospitals as the old facility did not have enough resources and medicines or provide some services.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1791351\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_6039.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital ward\" width=\"720\" height=\"462\" /> <em>Medical ward at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the patients, Mbandezwa Hlabiyakhe (66) said the hospital used to be terrible.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You knew you were not going to get proper help. We were being referred to other hospitals. I suffer from asthma. I am coughing all the time and struggle to breathe but I am hoping that they are going to be able to assist me in this new hospital,” Hlabiyakhe said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said after being turned away from the hospital a few times he had to pay R500 to see a private doctor.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another patient, Keyton Macingwana (65) said the old hospital had a shortage of medication and this meant they had to look for help at state hospitals in Mthatha and Mount Frere. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1788261\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-12.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital old building\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Sipetu Hospital old building. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But now we hope that things will change,” he added. “This is a beautiful hospital, the structure is out of this world, the government needs to add more doctors and nurses in this new hospital so that we do not have to be referred to other hospitals,” Macingwana added.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1788257\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-08.jpg\" alt=\"Noxolisa Vika\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Elderly patient Noxolisa Vika after recieving medical treatment from the newly built Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Noxolisa Vika said she visited the hospital for the first time on Saturday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I have received everything, I am happy and the doctors treated me very well,” she added.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1788274\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-22.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital doctor Nomadolo Ntanjana\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Sipetu Hospital doctor Nomadolo Ntanjana who announced her retirement during the opening of the hospital in Ntabankulu, on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoeya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr Nomadolo Ntanjana (55), who served at the old hospital for the past 15 years said she will not continue her service at the new hospital. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It was a very exciting journey for me working for the community of Ntabankulu but I already decided that today it’s my last day. I am leaving the hospital with peace and I am happy that I am leaving now that the community has this beautiful building. For me, it’s like a dream. This is a beautiful new hospital before we were working in an old structure building, it was very bad, we couldn’t accommodate all the patients,” she said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meth said she was happy now that the new facility is opening.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s a R680-million facility with a lot of improved services that have not been available before,” Meth said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include improved maternity services and kangaroo care for newborns and premature babies that were not available before. Meth said they are also looking at adding rehabilitation services and 72-hour mental health services for observation. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1788253\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-04.jpg\" alt=\"Air ambulance at Sipetu Hospital\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Air ambulance at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu , Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She added that the hospital has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are saying the people of this area must just look after their facility and protect their facility, protect their staff, and ensure that we retain all the skills that we need. We are moving with speed to stabilise human resource capacity as we shall be employing a permanent CEO and clinical manager,” Meth added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mabuyane said he did not want to hear any stories of a shortage of doctors at Sipetu Hospital.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I do not want to hear that patients are receiving bad treatment or are sleeping in chairs,” he said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facility also has a 20-bed infectious disease ward, functionally flexible operating theatres that accommodate a variety of operating procedures, a high-tech radiology department, staff accommodation as well as a new helicopter landing pad for emergency referrals. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has implored the </span><a href=\"https://www.ntabankulu.gov.za/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ntabankulu</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> community to look after a new R680-million hospital that was opened at the weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meth was speaking at the opening of the new </span><a href=\"https://mapcarta.com/14256604\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sipetu Hospital</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Ntabankulu.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said hospitals and health facilities are now also being hit by protection rackets. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where hospitals are not paying, she added, employees and patients are robbed at gunpoint of money and their valuables.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We first saw this with businesses where projects were stopped,” she said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are asking people of this area to protect this facility, protect our employees and patients so that people who are skilled, the professionals don’t run away seeing that their lives are in danger. We have not heard of that this side but we are saying it must not happen,” Meth said.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1791350\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1791350\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_6019.jpg\" alt=\"Minister of health Dr Joe Phaahla, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyana and MEC Nomakhosazana\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" /> <em>Minister of health Dr Joe Phaahla, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyana and MEC Nomakhosazana Meth speaking with Nomadolo Ntanjana (55) who announced her retirement at Sipetu hospital on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said the Department has also embarked on a project to employ artisans at its hospitals and clinics for maintenance which would mean that they didn’t need to put out tenders for small-scale maintenance.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients who are receiving medical treatment from Sipetu Hospital in Ntabankulu expressed their gratitude after the official opening of the newly constructed state-of-the-art R680 million Sipetu Hospital. Apart from the new building clinical services have also been upgraded. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital sees around 6,000 patients a month.</span>\r\n<h4><b>High hopes for improved service</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new R680-million Sipethu Hospital was opened on 28 July 2023 by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, the Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, and the MEC of Health Nomakhosazana Meth.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hospital has 160 beds.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some patients believe that the new facility will change their lives after many years of being referred to other hospitals as the old facility did not have enough resources and medicines or provide some services.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1791351\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1791351\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_6039.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital ward\" width=\"720\" height=\"462\" /> <em>Medical ward at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the patients, Mbandezwa Hlabiyakhe (66) said the hospital used to be terrible.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You knew you were not going to get proper help. We were being referred to other hospitals. I suffer from asthma. I am coughing all the time and struggle to breathe but I am hoping that they are going to be able to assist me in this new hospital,” Hlabiyakhe said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said after being turned away from the hospital a few times he had to pay R500 to see a private doctor.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another patient, Keyton Macingwana (65) said the old hospital had a shortage of medication and this meant they had to look for help at state hospitals in Mthatha and Mount Frere. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1788261\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1788261\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-12.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital old building\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Sipetu Hospital old building. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“But now we hope that things will change,” he added. “This is a beautiful hospital, the structure is out of this world, the government needs to add more doctors and nurses in this new hospital so that we do not have to be referred to other hospitals,” Macingwana added.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1788257\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1788257\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-08.jpg\" alt=\"Noxolisa Vika\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Elderly patient Noxolisa Vika after recieving medical treatment from the newly built Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Noxolisa Vika said she visited the hospital for the first time on Saturday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I have received everything, I am happy and the doctors treated me very well,” she added.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1788274\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1788274\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-22.jpg\" alt=\"Sipetu Hospital doctor Nomadolo Ntanjana\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Sipetu Hospital doctor Nomadolo Ntanjana who announced her retirement during the opening of the hospital in Ntabankulu, on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoeya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr Nomadolo Ntanjana (55), who served at the old hospital for the past 15 years said she will not continue her service at the new hospital. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It was a very exciting journey for me working for the community of Ntabankulu but I already decided that today it’s my last day. I am leaving the hospital with peace and I am happy that I am leaving now that the community has this beautiful building. For me, it’s like a dream. This is a beautiful new hospital before we were working in an old structure building, it was very bad, we couldn’t accommodate all the patients,” she said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meth said she was happy now that the new facility is opening.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s a R680-million facility with a lot of improved services that have not been available before,” Meth said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include improved maternity services and kangaroo care for newborns and premature babies that were not available before. Meth said they are also looking at adding rehabilitation services and 72-hour mental health services for observation. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1788253\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1788253\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sipetu-hospital-04.jpg\" alt=\"Air ambulance at Sipetu Hospital\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Air ambulance at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu , Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She added that the hospital has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are saying the people of this area must just look after their facility and protect their facility, protect their staff, and ensure that we retain all the skills that we need. We are moving with speed to stabilise human resource capacity as we shall be employing a permanent CEO and clinical manager,” Meth added.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mabuyane said he did not want to hear any stories of a shortage of doctors at Sipetu Hospital.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I do not want to hear that patients are receiving bad treatment or are sleeping in chairs,” he said. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facility also has a 20-bed infectious disease ward, functionally flexible operating theatres that accommodate a variety of operating procedures, a high-tech radiology department, staff accommodation as well as a new helicopter landing pad for emergency referrals. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"summary": "The Eastern Cape Health MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth last weekend implored the Ntabankulu community to protect Sipetu Hospital, explaining that ‘protection money’ rackets have hit many health facilities in the province adding that it made it difficult for them to attract skilled professionals to the area.",
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"search_title": "Eastern Cape Health MEC asks community to guard new R680-million Sipetu Hospital against protection rackets",
"search_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has implored the </span><a href=\"https://www.ntabankulu.gov.za/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ntabankulu</span></a><span s",
"social_title": "Eastern Cape Health MEC asks community to guard new R680-million Sipetu Hospital against protection rackets",
"social_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has implored the </span><a href=\"https://www.ntabankulu.gov.za/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ntabankulu</span></a><span s",
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Minister of health Dr Joe Phaahla, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyana and MEC Nomakhosazana Meth speaking with Nomadolo Ntanjana (55) who announced her retirement at Sipetu hospital on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)
Medical ward at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)
Sipetu Hospital old building. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)
Elderly patient Noxolisa Vika after recieving medical treatment from the newly built Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu, Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)
Sipetu Hospital doctor Nomadolo Ntanjana who announced her retirement during the opening of the hospital in Ntabankulu, on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoeya Jubase)
Air ambulance at Sipetu Hospital, Ntabankulu , Eastern Cape on 28 July, 2023. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)