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MEC at at the launch of the Occupational Health in Eastern Cape: Bisho
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Health

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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
 SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE M.E.C. FOR HEALTH DR BM GOQWANA
AT THE LAUNCH OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN EASTERN CAPE: BISHO
23 MARCH 2001

INTRODUCTION

Master of ceremonies,
 The Director-General of the Eastern Cape,
 The Director-General of National Department of Health,
 Permanent Secretaries,
 Distinguished guests,
 Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

Today I feel very much honoured to head a Department that spearheads the awareness of Occupational Health in Eastern Cape. What impresses 
me a lot is that barely two months ago the Eastern Cape Department of Health launched the Patient Rights Charter, an indication that the 
Department of Health is increasingly incorporating international accepted norms and values within its strategic direction. The launch of 
the Occupational Health is another milestone towards that.

Occupational Health

Occupational Health is one of the disciplines that have not always enjoyed much attention yet is a very crucial field in that it impacts a 
lot in our day to day service rendering.

On daily basis employees are injured in one way or another in the course of performing their duties. Some get permanently disabled while 
the unfortunate are killed. Others inhale substances that could endanger their lives 10 to 20 years down the line. When these people are 
diagnosed it is not easy to associate them with their previous employment. Those in the Northern Cape have been lucky enough to be able to 
associate the asbestosis with their former employers hence they have been able to claim.

A few months ago we have witnessed the tragic death of employees who were locked inside a factory overnight. Clearly had the safety 
standards not violated such horrific incident could not have happened. The questions that remains in our minds is not about the tragic 
death of these employees but that whether in our quest for profits and productivity we have to deliberately ignore minimum safety 
standards. Surely this should not be the case.

There are many injuries that go unreported and unnoticed in our work places. In some instances statistics are manipulated to give a picture 
of safety in our work places yet employees are affected.

It is therefore a challenge to all of us to ensure that Occupational Health occupies a centre stage in the health service delivery.

Master of Ceremonies I feel it is important for me to mention about Occupational Health.

* Occupational Health is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Health. It cuts across all public and private entities. People 
get injured or acquire diseases due to unhealthy environmental conditions they are exposed to in their work places. We have witnessed 
people getting injured in the farms, at mines, at sea, in our factories, etc, yet we have never considered the implications. The first stop 
is the hospital or a clinic. This then severely affects our limited resources.
* Due to the economic status of our province many people move to richer provinces in search of work. When these people become economically 
inept due to sickness acquired in their workplaces they come back to Eastern Cape. On the other hand the total number of the population in 
each province and other conditions influences the budget allocation of each province. These people are budgeted for in those rich provinces 
and when they come back, the province has to stretch its resources to accommodate them.

It is also equally important that we begin to redefine the parameters of Occupational Health. Many people often refer to physical injuries 
and diseases acquired from the work place. In our definition we should also include mental or psychological status of an employee. It is an 
undeniable fact that many of us are exposed to stressful environments that tend to affect our relationship with our families and friends. 
This often leads to broken families which further contributes to social degeneration of our society. The time has come for us to look into 
the ways of addressing these issues.

Secondly we further need to research on whether our workplaces are not the cause of the violence that seems to engulf our country. I want 
to specifically refer to the Taxi violence. Most of us here have wondered as to why a taxi driver would react so violently on a minor 
issue. I am definitely sure that many of you have experiences on this. If we broaden our definition of Occupational Health perhaps one may 
come to a conclusion that the environment they are exposed to leads them to react violently.

Thirdly our definition should also include the sicknesses that come from some of the benefits that employees often get in their work 
places. One example could be in the liquor industry when employees can have a number of glasses each day for free. This encourages some 
employees to drink more and their health status deteriorates in the long run. This is equally the same in the tobacco industry. In the 
farming industry especially in wine farms there is a practice often referred to as dop system, where people are given X amount of bottles 
of low quality wine that cannot be sold commercially as some form of wage payment. Farm workers who drink this wine often suffer from 
diseases ranging from TB to mental instability.

Master of Ceremonies let me come closer at home i.e. look at the conditions that our health workers are exposed to in their day to day 
rendering of the service to the people. Some of our health workers have contracted HIV/AIDS not because of their sexual behaviour but 
because of accidentally been pricked by a needle that has been used on an HIV/AIDS infected patient.

To add salt to the wound is that at present there is no policy regarding compensation for health workers who have been infected by the 
virus in this manner. I therefore call on all our health workers, especially those in the laboratories and emergency rescue workers to take 
caution when they treat a patient or do tests regardless of his or her status.

Ladies and gentlemen as we begin to engage ourselves in this course of action we must take into cognisance that Occupational Health as it 
is now is not being handled properly. We need to transform it so that it can be user friendly. I want to specifically refer to the handling 
of claims for compensation. In many instances there certain scrupulous people who have used loopholes within the system to charge ex-miners 
exorbitant fees for claims have robbed ex-miners. We have to find a way of processing claims in the province and liase with the 
Compensation Commissioner for Occupational Diseases. Ex-miners do not need to travel to Johannesburg to trace their claims. This has to be 
done at district level.

Conclusion

In conclusion Master of Ceremonies I want to challenge all public and private employers, large and small, in the province to create 
conditions where places of work on not to become monster to employees but places where increased efficiency and productivity is a norm as a 
result of healthy environment.

Lastly I must take this opportunity and that the officials from my department for the persistent and tireless effort to engage all 
stakeholders in what some people would describe as political expediency by the Eastern Cape Department of Health. Had it not been their 
commitment to ensure that the issue of Occupational Health is high on the agenda of the Province, we wouldnt be gathered here today.

Thank you,

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