With an illustrious career in medical science, Professor Househam, with a wealth of experience, obtained his MB CHb and MD at University of Cape Town in 1973 and 1986 respectively. From 1996 to 2001, he was the Deputy Director General: Head of Health in the Free State. Professor Househam led the vision to a new strategic direction for the Western Cape called Healthcare 2010. This has seen the transformation of healthcare services which led to service improvements, effective management, reaching service delivery targets and achieving unqualified audits.

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, congratulated Prof Househam and the department on this outstanding achievement. "Professor Househam and the department deserve this public acknowledgement and recognition for their entrepreneurship and out-of-the-box thinking. They work under difficult circumstances and the public demand is overwhelming at times. They have displayed exemplary innovation over a long period of time and, above all, our employees are succeeding in implementing these innovations from top management levels right through to every health facility in the rural areas of this province. They have done us proud."

With the development of a new vision and strategy towards 2020, the Western Cape Department of Health will make the provision of a comprehensive package of health services, including the promotion of health, prevention of disease, curative care and rehabilitation, and training and education, delivered across all levels of care. With this in mind, the Department of Health will focus on the following key elements of the strategy: wellness patient centeredness - a move towards an outcomes-based approach, the retention of a primary healthcare philosophy, strengthening the District Health Services (DHS) model, and building strategic partnerships.

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Core function of the Western Cape Department of Health: The core function and responsibility of the Western Cape Department of Health is to deliver a comprehensive package of health services to the people of the province. The Western Cape Department of Health is ensuring and improving the health of all people in the Western Cape and beyond by the providing a balanced health care system, in partnership with all stakeholders, within the context of optimal socio-economic development.