Mafikeng
18 April 2006
The North West Department of Health will on Thursday, 20 April 2006,
officially open the much awaited Kraaipan Clinic in the Ratlou
Municipality.
The construction of this clinic was started late 2004 and the completed
project was witnessed in September last year. After being handed over to the
Department of Health, communities were allowed to use the clinic as part of the
normal pre-test operations of new health facilities.
The Departmentâs optimism about the clinicâs required standard persuaded MEC
Rasmeni to announce in her recent 2006/07 budget vote that the Department will
hand the clinic over to the community before the end of this yearâs second
quarter.
The clinic that costed the Department more than R4 million, has three
consultation rooms, maternity section, linen storeroom, dispensary, doctorsâ
room, counselling room, laundry kitchen and an open reception. More than 8000
Kraaipan village communities will have unlimited access to Comprehensive
Primary Healthcare Services that include maternal child and womenâs health,
mental and oral health services, community based rehabilitation, physiotherapy
and communicable diseases treatment. The facility will operate seven days a
week, and nurses will be available 24 hours on call.
âAs the Department we are pleased to have fulfilled the Kraaipan communityâs
dream of one day having a clinic of their own. We believe that they will
utilise it for their wellness,â MEC Rasmeni expressed her excitement.
As outlined in the revitalisation programme for health facilities, the
Kraaipan Clinic will also enjoy the 24 hours availability of health
professionals who will be staying in the clinicâs premises.
âThe Department views this as progress in implementing the programme because
having nurses in the clinic premises will avoid cases of mothers giving birth
in the bushes or on their way to hospitals âbecause clinics were closed in the
eveningâ. Our nurses will be readily available to assist, especially in cases
of emergency during the night,â concluded MEC Nomonde Rasmeni.
The clinic opening ceremony will be officiated at Kraaipan Clinic starting
at 10h00.
Enquiries:
Barba Gaoganediwe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (018) 387 5830
E-mail: kgaoganediwe@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, North West Provincial Government
18 April 2006
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.gov.za/)
