Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Ministers of Health and Social Development, hon Deputy Minister of Social Development, MECs from different provinces, hon members, special delegates, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
As you know, 11 days from now Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela will turn 91. People of the world and our country will celebrate the life of this great leader, the icon of our struggle, a legend, a trendsetter par excellence, a true patriot and a hero of our people. It is therefore correct that all of us should join hands and heed the President's call to celebrate 18 July as Mandela Day. It will indeed be a fitting tribute to this great leader of our people.
I am indeed privileged and humbled to participate in this Budget Vote debate of the Department of Health. The Minister's speech refers to continuity, innovation and decisiveness on the urgent steps we need to take to improve our country's health care system. As the Free State province we are combat-ready to implement the issues, as continually raised by the Minister on different platforms, in the aftermath of this global economic meltdown. To us this means the application of new methods of doing things without compromising our priorities.
Our people have overwhelmingly renewed our mandate and they have understood the call that together we can do more. They also believe that together we can create decent work and sustainable livelihoods, that together we can implement a comprehensive rural development strategy, agrarian reform and measures of food security, and also that together we can create a health care system which promotes a healthy nation able to participate in a developing society.
As the Free State health department, we are a service point for 364 589 patients in our district hospitals. Over six million patients visited and were treated at our primary health care facilities. We have progressively expanded accredited locally based sites to provide comprehensive care and treatment for HIV and Aids patients. We have surpassed the 90% national average on immunisation. Our province has the second highest TB cure rate and the lowest TB default rate in the country. All our districts have fully functional governance structures with health plans linked to IDPs.
Whilst preparing for our Budget Vote, which is scheduled for 22 July, the following areas will remain at the top of our agenda this financial year. These are sustainable medicine and antiretrovirals, ARV, roll-out; revamping our health care infrastructure and medical equipment for our facilities; revamping our emergency medical services; reorganising our nursing college and recruiting new ones; promoting primary health care; improving our patient information management system; and improving access to rural health care, including building and consolidating our relationship with traditional healers through the traditional health practitioners' forum. We will articulate our plans clearly when we present our Budget Vote on 22 July, as I indicated earlier.
It would be unfair of me to leave this podium without setting the record straight on what has been an element of entertainment by opposition parties, especially Cope, when they took part in the Budget Vote debate in the National Assembly. This was with regard to an issue that has been in the public domain: the provision of ARVs in our province. We do acknowledge that there were challenges, but despite the negative publicity that was given, we can say proudly that the target of 27 000 we set for ourselves was achieved far beyond ...