S. Africa strives to provide free medical care: Zuma

The South African government strives to provide free medical care and hospitalisation for all, with special care for mothers and young children, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

"Each day we strive to achieve the goals set out in the Freedom Charter, and institutionalised in the economic rights spelt out in the Constitution of the Republic," Zuma said as he opened the New Harry Surtie Hospital, in Upington, Northern Cape Province.

Building decent health facilities is designed to move South Africa a step forward in meeting these goals, said Zuma.

Over the past five years, 300 new health facilities have been built in the country, including 160 new clinics.

The government is currently working hard to bring into operation the National Health Service, a preventive health scheme that will ensure that quality health care is available to all regardless of economic or financial means, Zuma said.

"For our Government to succeed, a renewed spirit in health care services provision needs to be reborn," he noted.

Zuma called for redoubled efforts to continue to build a successful and healthy nation.

"Together we will move our country forward to security and comfort for all," he said.

"Our government is working, and will continue to deliver services to especially the vulnerable in our society."

The country's HIV/Aids turnaround strategy was a success, Zuma said.

Globally, South Africa is recommended as a model country by the United Nations Aids Programmes (UNAIDS) on this field.

"The mother to child transmission of HIV has declined sharply, and we continue to increase the number of people who are receiving anti-retroviral treatment," Zuma said.

More South Africans continue to take their HIV tests since the launch of the campaign in 2011 which is another accolade in the country's health care services.

Zuma said a target for his administration was to ensure that at least 4.6 million people were enrolled in the antiretroviral programme.