Commitment, perseverance, endurance and never giving up spirit, that is what kept Mjanyana hospital alive until this day. On the 2nd of October 2018 Mjanyana Hospital reached its 125thyears of existence and Engcobo community came together to celebrate the resilience and the tenacity of the 4000 leper patients that built the initial hospital when they were send there to die by the missionaries.
This celebration was fused with the 100 years’ celebration of Mama Sisulu and Tata Madiba with a heritage thyme. 2018 has been declared as the year of centenary celebration of Mama Albertina Sisulu who was a health care worker and a professional nurse as well as the former president of South Africa Tata Nelson Mandela. These two giants of our liberation overcame a varsity and oppression to become a heroin and hero of our struggle for freedom, making sure that all South Africans have equal access in government services especial people in rural areas. Today the Hala community at Engcobo is able to benefit good quality health care services.
The Eastern Cape Department of Health MEC Ms Helen Sauls-August congratulated the hospital management, the board and the community of Mjanyana for reaching the milestone, saying in order for us to honour the legacy of Mama Sisulu and Cecilia Makiwane, patients should be treated with dignity and respect.
She went on saying that “the department is proud to have such historical monument with rich history and heritage of bringing health services to the people. It is important that we celebrate human endurance and the human spirit as a dedication to the doctors and the nurses who cure what was then biblically an incurable disease, and where people with leprosy were considered as outcast and not good for anything, uThixo unendawo apha!”
Sauls-August demanded that the Engcobo Community members come to the health facilities be treated with care and dignity and they shouldn’t accept anything less, saying “surely if we want to honour Mama Sisulu and Mama Cecilia Makiwane and all those heroes that have played the role in our hospital services, we must ensure that we dedicate our lives to service “.
ECDoH has Mandela and Castro Thuma-Mina wellness programme were the health officials are raising health consciousness and visiting the deep rural areas encouraging people to be health conscious. The MEC urged people to take responsibility for their own health and to stop going and eating KFC and eat the traditional food.
The honourable MEC made a commitment that in the financial year of 2018/2019 the department has set aside R92 million for the Doctor’s housing project that will start in November 2018 when the SG Dr Mbengashe has signed the tender off at Mjanyana hospital. She commended the former MEC of ECDOH, Honourable Dr Pumza Dyantyi for the good work she has done during her time.
Amongst the people who came to honour these celebrations was the Acting King A. Dalindyebo “Ah! Zanelizwe” who expressed his gratitude towards the MEC for such big project that will create opportunities for the community of Mjanyana, Social Development MEC Dr Pumza Dyantyi, Sports, recreation arts & culture MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa, Chris Hani District Mayor Kholisa Vimbayo and Ngcobo Mayor Lizeka Bonga-Tyali.
