By Staff Reporter
NKOWANKOWA-On Thursday, 19 May 2023, Vodacom handed over a new live site to Letaba regional hospital which it says will provide staff, patients, visitors, and nearby communities with better coverage and high-speed connectivity.
The 4G network sites will be established near major hospitals, with Vodacom Limpopo having already commissioned three new sites at the Louis Trichardt, Bela-Bela, Witpoort, and Tshlidzini hospitals.
Vodacom says the infrastructure for the newly deployed sites cost R6 million. Managing executive for Vodacom Limpopo, Kugan Soobramani said the new sites form part of its ongoing partnership with the Limpopo Department of Health.
According to Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba Letaba and Tshilidzini hospitals are among those that were struggling hence they approached network providers to invest by installing these towers and Vodacom responded positively and for that we applaud them.
“ We have procured state-of-the-art Radiology equipment in our rural hospitals including CT scans and mammograms which operate through PACS systems that rely on network connectivity to function optimally”
“We wish all captains of industries can learn something and understand the importance of investing in health because it’s investing in life. This is part of our Rural health matter’s campaign because it will increase access to healthcare by people in the rural areas” said MEC Ramathuba
This is the first of the 13 towers that Vodacom will install to make sure that rural hospitals have network coverage so that patients do not die because Doctors can’t be accessed. More hospitals which are currently struggling with network connectivity like George Masebe will be receiving their towers according to Vodacom.
“By establishing these 4G network sites near major hospitals, we are driving access to the benefits of internet services, improving our customer experience and helping transform healthcare in the province and South Africa,” said Vodacom representative Kugan Soobramani
In 2022, Vodacom Limpopo’s partnership with the Department of Health saw the network operator donate 201 cold chain freezers and storage units worth R2.7 million.
The freezers and units store vaccines for distribution to patients in Limpopo.
“This was over and above the donation of 2,000 smartphones, plus data and voice call minutes, to the Department of Health to support efforts in the fight against the pandemic in the province,”
Vodacom representative: Kugan Soobramani said.
During the 2022/23 financial year, the network operator invested R300 million to expand its Limpopo network to provide better broadband coverage in remote areas in the province.
