The MEC for Health, Phumulo Masualle, officially opened the Agnes Rest clinic in Lady Frere on 10 June 2010.
With a population of 4 187, the clinic encourages community ownership and nurses, doctors and physicians of that area come to plough back to the clinic.
The utilisation rate of the clinic is low but there is hope that it will be better through the Health Seeking Behaviour campaign. The clinic has had no multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensive drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) cases and has a full package of primary healthcare.
Mr Vuyo Tyawana, who is in the clinic committee, expressed his gratitude to the department for a beautiful clinic, mentioning the ups and downs they went through to achieve this big dream.
"We used to ask for space from the village to operate the clinic and later managed to build a small block which had no enough space to operate a clinic," he said.
Chris Hani district Manager, Mrs Kiza mentioned that to strengthen primary healthcare, the MEC had given 10 doctors to Lady Frere and that a plan for their visits in clinics was being drafted.
Delivering his address, the MEC mentioned that the event was one of its kind as veterans of that area were the ones who played a leading role in the preparations and in making sure that the clinic was built.
He further stated that the department will achieve its goal when there are few or no people who go to the clinics hence the strengthening of primary healthcare was critical.
MEC encouraged people to take charge of their lives: "We can never say we are proud of our freedom if our people are dying," he said.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
11 June 2010
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
(http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/)
