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NEWLY-APPOINTED Premier Mbulelo Sogoni voiced his confidence in his new Health MEC Pemmy Majodina, saying she was “the right person for the job” in turning the embattled department around.

Sogoni was in Mthatha at the weekend where for the first time as premier he addressed the public at the funeral of the late MPL, Nobantu Mary Buka.

“The energy MEC Majodina is showing is the energy we want her to channel into the health department,” Sogoni told the mourners.

“It was this energy we observed indeed when we selected her to this position and wish her success,” Sogoni told the Dispatch.

Majodina, chairperson for public works portfolio committee, also deputy secretary of the provincial ANC and provincial secretary of the ANC women’s league was among four new MECs announced by Sogoni last Friday during a cabinet reshuffle.

She replaced Nomsa Jajula.

Sogoni said Majodina was expected to ensure that the department functioned optimally and that there were acceptable numbers of staff within the department.

Under Jajula, the Health Department had been plagued by reports of staff shortages, patients – especially young babies – dying as a result of neglect and non-availability of medicines.

“One person or two dying as a result of inadequate care to us is serious enough. Health care for the people is at the centre of social transformation in ANC.

“We believe what has been crippling our (health) institutions is that there are no people (adequate staff) and enough medicines. We have to guarantee our people good quality care all the time. She (Majodina) must be able to deal with these issues,” Sogoni said.

Technical teams would be also assembled to work with CEOs in the health complexes in the province to unblock service delivery, Sogoni said.

On Friday, Majodina told the media that her new-found position needed someone who understood the service delivery transformation plan of the ANC.

“As a member of the ANC, I have been crafting the policies of the ANC. I am there to implement those policies. I am not going to come with my personal policies, but I will be guided by ANC policies,” she said.

Majodina said it did not matter that she was neither a doctor nor a nurse.

“I am a political leader, doctors are to do their work as they used to, managers are to manage, but as a political overseer, I will play a politi- cal role”.

She promised to fast-track service delivery. And added that she would be very sensitive to HIV/Aids and TB.

“We must work together to ensure a better health system in the Eastern Cape,” Majodina said. — By MALUNGELO BOOI

Mthatha Bureau - Additional reporting by Mayibongwe Maqhina.