Province and City Pulling Forces Together to Deliver Improved Health Services to the People of Du Noon

Media Statement by Theuns Botha, Minister of Health

In the past few weeks, Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town pulled out all of the stops to address the problems to deliver an improved healthcare service to the people of Du Noon. This project is a demonstration of Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town working better together.

Interim Solution
The current clinic in Du Noon is a City of Cape Town facility. I acknowledged some weeks ago that the conditions at the current clinic are sub-standard, that the air-conditioning is not working and that the toilets are unhygienic and the waiting area is not fit for people in need of healthcare. This is a rapidly growing node serving the communities of Du Noon and Doornbach. The current clinic, managed by the City of Cape Town, has become too small and does not offer the equipment and amenities required at a health facility.

In response, the Western Cape Government Health and City of Cape Town Health held urgent meetings and discussions to address the situation. We looked a various scenarios to address the problem, which was not budgeted for, and today we can present to you the solution.

Until the new facility is complete in 2014, the Western Cape Department of Health will rent a building in Winning Way, Racing Park, Montague Gardens, from the beginning of April, but the building needs to be converted into a clinic. The conversion will involve suitable ventilation, access to the building and provision of consultation rooms and required ablution facilities. The target date for fitting out this facility will be end of July 2012.

In addition, a mobile unit will be placed at the Table View clinic in the first week of April to assist with the patient load from Du Noon. This mobile clinic is acquired by Province and made available to the City of Cape Town as an immediate relief.

Transport from Du Noon Clinic to Table View Clinic, at present provided by the City of Cape Town will also be taken over by the provincial Department of Health through a contribution from Province.

Long-Term Solution
Construction of the new R76 million Du Noon Community Health Centre will commence in September 2012. This building will be owned and operated by Province.

The site originally selected for the Du Noon CHC remains at Erf 236, Potsdam Road, Killarney Gardens. The site is located close to the bus and taxi routes used by the people who commute daily from other parts of the metro to Montague Gardens and Killarney Gardens.

The facility will cover approximately 4 000 square metres. It will be a full-time facility operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week. There will be:

• An emergency unit.
• Eight-bed midwife obstetric (maternity) unit.
• Six-bed kangaroo mother care unit.
• Standard Monday to Fridays eight-hour facilities.
• Chronic and acute care unit.
• Infectious diseases unit.
• Women and child health unit.
• Oral health unit (dentist).
• Rehabilitation unit, which encompasses physio and occupational therapy.
• Social and psychiatric counselling.
• Medical imaging unit (x-ray).
• Pharmacy.

Increasing Wellness
Towards our strategic objective of increasing wellness, I believe we are demonstrating good governance for the people of Du Noon. The interim and long-term arrangements will contribute to an improved health service delivery.

The wellness objective is led by the Department of Health whose strategic plan is based on patient-centeredness, a move towards an outcomes-based approach, the retention of a primary healthcare philosophy, strengthening the district health services model, and building strategic partnerships.