Health Update: Health and wellness MEC brings patient voices to the forefront at Alexandra clinic – What Experts Say

Gauteng Member of the Executive Council for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko led an impromptu oversight visit to the 4th Avenue Clinic in Alexandra on Friday, as part of the department’s efforts to enhance service delivery in healthcare facilities.

The clinic is one of the first facilities in the province to introduce the MEC’s desk, a consultative platform designed to enhance patient care by giving patients a direct voice in shaping healthcare services. The initiative allows community members to share feedback, complaints, and suggestions with the MEC, ensuring that their concerns are not only heard but acted upon.

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Speaking during her visit, Nkomo-Ralehoko explained that clinics were chosen as the starting point because they are the frontline of healthcare. “We want to focus on the citizens, because patient care is our priority as the department of health and wellness.”

The MEC emphasised that the desk will serve as a structured mechanism for accountability. Each day, quality and facility managers will collect submissions from patients, categorise them, and ensure they are channelled to the appropriate departments for resolution.

“This MEC’s desk is not only about issues in Alexandra, but also health-related concerns in other institutions.”

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Importantly, the desk will also integrate with other government services. Nkomo-Ralehoko noted that some patients raise issues beyond health, such as housing or social support. These will be redirected to provincial call centres to ensure that residents receive holistic assistance.

During her visit, she had an engagement with a young patient who expressed dissatisfaction with the service she had received – an example of why the desk is urgently needed.

“This platform addresses what the department has been lacking: patient care. Now, we want to focus on the patients. They must feel that their voice is heard, and their voice is our action.”

The MEC’s desk is expected to strengthen accountability, improve responsiveness, and restore trust in public healthcare facilities across the province.

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