MEC Madoda Sambatha, during his presentation of the Budget Vote and Policy Speech of the Department, announced that he expects Freedom Park Clinic, a donation project from Impala, to be handed over to the Department of Health because it was already completed and is ready. The MEC said that the clinic comes in handy for the community and the department on a mission to expand access to health services.
Sambatha, on Friday, 26 May, officially received a newly built clinic from the Impala Platinum Mine. The facility, estimated at R25 million, was handed over to the department by the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr Gwede Mantashe. Also in attendance was the Chief Executive of Impala Platinum Mine, Mr Mark Munroe, who said the facility was one of the other facilities built by the Mine as part of their Social and Labour Plan (SLP) initiatives.
"The Department is on a mission to ensure universal health coverage, a sustainable development goal. This clinic is one way of improving access to primary healthcare and pushing us towards universal health coverage. We must appreciate and congratulate the Mine for investing in the health of our people with the ever-growing population of the province, and the department has continuously called on the private sector to become actively involved as partners in health delivery by investing in health infrastructure".
The facility will provide a package of primary health care services, including outpatient care, maternal and child health, immunization, counselling and health education, antenatal and postnatal care, and the management of other communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The facility will see an upgrade from the previous 8 hours to 12 hours, then eventually 24 hours operation, which will further broaden access for the community, said MEC Madoda Sambatha.
