Patient elation as new Strand clinic opens
Nomzamo community day centre to contribute to health care in area
WEDNESDAY JUNE 22 2016
THE INFLUX of patients at Helderberg Hospital is expected to subside following the opening of a bigger and state-of-the art clinic in Strand. The Nomzamo community day centre, which was officially opened by Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo yesterday, is expected to bring closer comprehensive health services to state patients in that region, who otherwise had to travel more than 5km to get such services at Helderberg Hospital.
The hospital has become overburdened due to increasing patients and diseases.
Mbombo said the R19million facility would bring needed services, and due to growing population in the area, the existing Ikhwezi Clinic could not cope with the increased load.
Mbombo said the new facility would contribute greatly to the strengthening of primary health care in the area.
“The government has heard the needs of the people of Nomzamo, we have now delivered and pledge to continue doing so,” she said.
Mbombo urged the community to take care of the facility as their own home, and not to take their anger out on the clinic when dissatisfied with service delivery.
“I now entrust the facility to the community. This is your facility and not the Department of Health’s.
“Look after it... don’t burn it down because it belongs to you.
“Treat it as your home and keep it warm,” she said.
Following almost two years of construction, the clinic will have among its key services: chronic unit, women’s health and baby unit, infectious disease unit and pharmacy services.
Boasting 11 consulting rooms, a waiting room, a pharmacy and infectious disease wing to treat diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV, the clinic also has a pre-waiting room that would accommodate patients who arrive at the clinic in the early hours before opening time.
It also has a 2-bed trauma unit, which is used to stabilise emergency patients before they are transferred to different hospitals.
Mbombo said the clinic would not only relieve pressure from Ikwezi Clinic, but would also take pressure off Helderberg Hospital, which served as a chronic dispensing unit for many patients from Nomzamo and surrounding townships.
Thandiwe Mthimkhulu, a local chairwoman of Treatment Action Campaign said the opening of the clinic would make “a lot of difference in people’s lives”.
“A lot of people had to travel to clinics outside the area such as Gordon’s Bay to avoid the poor service as Ikhwezi Clinic, which was very congested.
“Now a lot of us will have everything under one roof,” she said.