The long awaited expansion of Tshepong Wellness clinic which has been under construction since 2009 at Tshopeng/Klerksdorp hospital complex is now fully operational. The clinic was today officially handed over by BroadReach Healthcare, funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the North West Department of Health. This expansion will provide greater access to quality healthcare for HIV patients in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district.
In 2009 the department requested assistance to renovate and expand their overburdened Tshepong Wellness Centre from BroadReach Healthcare (BRHC). The need for expansion followed comprehensive guidelines to manage and treat the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the province. However, due to over stretchedresources within the public healthcare facilities and the growing number of patients who require antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and care; it was evident that the existing facility was experiencing patient bottlenecks and backlogs and would simply not be able to cope.
Thus, the need to find a solution to alleviate these challenges and be able to provide patients with a robust healthcare facility became an ever-increasing priority. The proposed solution resulted in a significant project costing overR6 million which was made possible by the generous funding and support from the USAID.
John Sargent, Founding Partner of BroadReach Healthcare said, “The aim of this project was simple – to provide the people of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District with a viable healthcare facility that will be able to provide access to much needed healthcare services for those requiring ARV medicines, care and support. The BroadReach/NW Department of Health initiative to increase patient access to ART through the private general practitioner programme fits well with this project to expand the wellness centre. This is a great example of a successful Public Private Partnership at the coalface where it really counts.”
Through the infrastructure project, the renovations to the Tshepong Wellness Centre will increase patient capacity by:
- Increasing the number of consulting rooms from four to seven
- Boosting HIV Counselling and Testing services by doubling the number of HIV counselling rooms from two to four
- An additional three observation booths will be added to the existing three booths
- A new waiting area for patients with seating to accommodate an extra 50 patients
- New room for file storage.
The addition of a sophisticated ARV pharmacy will enable all ARV-related pharmaceutical activities, from a receiving area for the delivery of bulk stock through to a waiting area that can accommodate up to 80 patients, to take place in one centralised unit. And the layout of the new pharmacy combined with the new computer equipment and software will facilitate the direct dispensing of ARVs to patients, as well as large volume pre-packing and storage of medication to support down-referral.
“The Tshepong Hospital Wellness Centre and ARV pharmacy infrastructure project, spearheaded by the North West province Department of Health and BroadReach Healthcare, is an excellent case-in-point of a Public Private Partnership (PPP),” says MEC Dr Magome Masike. “The upgraded facilities as well as the introduction of an ARV pharmacy into our community will greatly improve patient’s access to quality healthcare that they not only deserve but have been long-time waiting; as well as alleviating constraints on capacity,” said MEC Masike.
USAID’s Nomea Masihleho added, “Through USAID and funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the American people are glad we could support North West province’s plan to increase Tshepong centre’s capacity to help many more people in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District to access health care.”
This critically needed upgrade to the Tshepong Wellness Centre will go a long way in addressing some of the pressing healthcare issues that the people of Kenneth Kaunda District face.
For further information please contact:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Tell: 018 387 5830
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
Nalini Naidoo
Tel: 011 548 2015
Cell: 083 745 8863
E-mail:nalini.naidoo@fleishman.co.za
