Pretoria – The opening of a new R13.4-million clinic in Buxton village, in the North West, will mark an end to the days when residents used to travel long distances to access health care.
The facility is a replacement clinic, which has seen the demolition of the old dilapidated structure in November 2012, to give way for the state-of-the-art building.
The clinic has more consulting rooms and waiting areas which will allow for more community members to be served quicker.
Mmathapelo Phathe, 29, could not hide her excitement during her recent visit to the clinic. Phathe, who recently gave birth in an ambulance en route to Taung Hospital, said the new facility restored hope for better healthcare.
“The clinic is now bigger and can accommodate more people unlike before where it would be overcrowded and people queuing outside which was a problem especially during rainy, cold and very hot weather conditions,” she said.
The developments in Buxton village, follows MEC Dr. Magome Masike’s visit to various clinics in the province soon after his appointment to assess the state of healthcare.
Speaking after the inspection of the new Buxton Clinic this week, MEC Masike said the new clinic will help the department to achieve its goal of improving the health profile of the nation by rendering basic primary healthcare services.
The services that the new clinic offers, includes treating communicable and none communicable diseases, emergency cases, family planning, Tuberculosis, maternal and child health, minor ailments and chronic illnesses among others.
Seventeen clinics and seven Community Health Centers have been completed in the province since 2009. Ten primary health care facilities have also received essential upgrade from 2011 to 2013; and an extensive health infrastructure programme was fully underway in a number of the facilities including Sekhing Community health center, Lekgopung, Madibe A Makgabane and Tweelingspan clinics.
Facilities maintenance audits were also done under the hospital revitalization projects at Moses Kotane, Joe Morolong Memorial (Vryburg), Swartruggens and Brits hospitals. The province spent over R1.2 billion on these completed facilities. – SAnews.gov.za
