The community of Driesfontein, in Ladysmith, will finally have their dream of having a clinic in their area fulfilled when the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, will officially open the clinic tomorrow, Thursday.
The people of Driesfontein needed a clinic and they approached the former KwaZulu government with their request but nothing came of it. Inkosi and his council collected money from the residents which they used to build a four roomed clinic.
When Dr ZL Mkhize became the MEC for Health, he initiated the process of providing a proper clinic for the people of Driesfontein. The clinic was built and completed.
"Government has embarked on a large clinic building programme, building more than 1 300 clinics and revitalising more since 1994. This was part of a programme to introduce universal primary healthcare free at the point of use. The improvement in primary healthcare infrastructure went in tandem with revitalisation of existing public hospitals or building of new ones," says the MEC.
KwaZulu-Natal, with a population of over ten million people in 2008, has the highest population in South Africa, including the highest population under one year of age.
The primary healthcare facility utilisation rate in KwaZulu-Natal was 2.4 visits per person per year in 2008/09, equal to the national average.
Uthukela district has a population of around 700 000 people, in the poor social economic quintile and a high deprivation index (measure the level of deprivation in an area) of 3.7, has a HIV prevalence rate of 29 percent and there are two district hospitals and one regional hospital.
Government and the MEC have expressed and recognised the urgent need to make a major, sustained commitment to strengthening health systems. This renewed commitment presents the important opportunity needed to make sustainable improvements that benefit the people of KwaZulu-Natal and redouble efforts to meet their health needs.
Journalists and reporters are invited to the event as follows:
Date: Thursday, 10 June 2010
Time: 10h00
Venue: Driesfontein Clinic, Ladysmith
For more information please call:
Desmond Motha
Cell: 083 295 3901
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 285 0567
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
9 June 2010
