Report by Dr. Madeleine Muller, RuDASA National Secretary (and please scroll down to previous blog posts for the full story)
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Dear East Coast Friends
A Happy New Year to you all! We are in 2014 and are continuing the
pathway to better health services in Ward 6 and Chintsa.
Our resolutions were presented at the District Health Council
meeting and Councillor Billie made a commitment to an early stakeholder meeting
in 2014. We hope to engage with the District Manager of Amathole District, Mrs
Gede, and have sent her several emails with our resolutions, but I am afraid we
have had no reply.
I have spoken to the Councillor who has said that he will
approach her personally for such a meeting. He suggested we put forward a date
and I have therefore asked for a stakeholder meeting in Chintsa East on the
11th of February at 2pm. I will let you know details of that
closer to the time. The Councillor will try and get both the District Manager
and the District Director to such a meeting.
The delays have been frustrating and we have therefore also
decided to start a TAC branch in Chintsa (treatment action campaign). We need
15 members (membership is R10 / year) and we can officially form a branch. We
have almost 10 already keen to be part of that group. If you would like to join
this local activist branch for health please let me know. I am tempted to
arrange the meeting for the formation of the 1st TAC branch on the
same day J in case the
District Managers do not arrive. We can do it at 4pm after the stakeholder
meeting ends.
On a larger scale the Coalition has finally met with Dr
Mbengashe last week and he has made several commitments to improving things on
various levels. We are preparing for litigation this year if they do not act on
the promises that they have made.
Remember
to spread the word about how to get in contact with the ECHCAC and stay
informed about our work:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EChealthcrisis (please
like the page!)
Website
www.echealthcrisis.org (please sign the memorandum!)
Phone:
Kwazi Mbatha: 0780599309 or Anele Yawa: 073 555 8849
Email: echealthcrisis@rhap.org.za
Madeleine Muller
RuDASA National Secretary
Rural Doctors Association of Southern
Africa
Inspiring others to Rural Health
Tel: 0741028137
