Former finance minister for the Western Cape, Wenger's tour began with visits to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Groote Schuur Hospital, the Bellville Health Park, and Tygerberg Hospital.
“I have immense respect for all our health heroes: the doctors, nurses, maintenance-, cleaning-, catering and security staff, and pay homage to all those across our department for the critical work they do, often under very difficult circumstances.
"Day in and day out, our just over 33,000 staff work to provide quality healthcare services to the residents of the province. I look forward to meeting with, listening to, and learning from those at the coalface of our healthcare services so that together we can build on the strong foundations we have. This will enable us to continuously improve the working environment of our staff, and to enable them to deliver the best possible care to our residents,” said Wenger.
No stranger to the health sector, Wenger has previously served on the Western Cape provincial parliament’s health and wellness standing committee for a full five years during which time the committee processed the Hospital Facility Board Act. She has also served on a hospital facility board for several years.
“I am acutely aware of the significant strain on the healthcare system, brought on by budget cuts due to the national fiscal crisis. This is why I believe in building partnerships with the private sector, and other levels of government, to ensure sustainable service delivery and equitable healthcare,” Wenger said.
“I look forward to engaging stakeholders across the entire healthcare ecosystem and gaining a deeper understanding of what is working and what is not. I especially look forward to gathering ideas and suggestions on how we can work together to deliver the best possible care, especially the most vulnerable, to help them to be healthy, safe and well in all phases of their lives."
