Public servants must change their attitude

The MEC for Health and Social Development in Limpopo, Miriam Sekgabutla, has appealed for an attitude change by public servants.

Addressing different stakeholders at a recent service standard summit in the Thohoyandou town hall, Sekgabutla listened to different problems and said the department was committed to solving all their problems, but that some were easy to resolve, while others required long-term solutions.

However, she said the most serious of the problems was a question of the attitude of health practitioners. "We can buy different medicines, we can employ different personnel, but what we cannot buy is the right attitude," she said.

Concerning her appeal for the right attitude, Ms Sekgabutla said people needed to know that they were working with their people and that they deserved good treatment. The summit raised a number of concerns which needed her immediate attention. They included the number of doctors and nurses in hospitals, ambulances as well as the shortage of medicines.

Ordinary people complained about the time they take before being treated by doctors as well as the time they wait before medicines are supplied.

In answering to the problems, Sekgabutla promised to go back to her office and meet her management, so as to plot how everything will be solved. "But in all fairness, while we commit ourselves, there must be an attitude change," she said.

Responses came from hospital boards, clinics as well as the district health council. Mr Ronny Hlungwani, who represented the hospital boards, said he was satisfied with her response to stakeholders´ problems. "It would be wrong for her to promise us everything, whereas some of the problems need her to liaise with other departments. Some of the problems cannot be solved overnight, so we think she is on the right track because she is promising an imbizo," said Hlungwani.