MEC for Health Mr Sicelo Gqobana turned sod at Cofimvaba at a ceremony attended by parliamentarians, King Matanzima, Councillors, clergy and local leaders of the Intsika Yethu District Municipality on Friday, 8 April 2011. The department is building Kuyasa Clinic for R8.6 million for the people of Cofimvaba and the surrounds. Kuyasa clinic will also have a nurses home to ensure those nurses deployed have a comfortable place to stay.
Speaking in front of the crowds that attended the sod turning ceremony, the MEC introduced the contractor who came in person and who had just started working on the very same day.
The MEC instructed the contractor to employ locals so that they are trained and transference of skills and capacitation happens as government dictates.
Commenting on the event, Member of the Legislature Mr Michael Peter excitedly said that the community of Cofimvaba’s dignity has been restored by government.
King Matanzima praised the government for being true to its word because the clinic was promised a long time back and now it was delivering.
The MEC also announced that R2 million had been set aside to upgrade Cofimvaba hospital in 2011.
The Intsika Yethu District Municipality is also an area where the department is piloting its revitalisation of primary health care programme. The programme entails the taking of health services to people. Doctors and nurses attend to people at the clinics and community health workers attend to people in the people’s homes. It is a preventative approach as opposed to a curative approach.
Currently the Kuyasa clinic operates from a dilapidated structure which will be replaced within ten months when the new Kuyasa Clinic would have been finished.
