Groundbreaking Ceremony at Delft Hospital's ARV TB Clinic

In a symbolic ceremony to commemorate the construction of a separate HIV TB Clinic at Delfts Community Health Centre, the Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, planted a tree outside the centre today.

The ceremony was an official event to announce the conversion of the building to establish separate waiting areas for pregnant women and their babies on the one side and for HIV and TB patients on the other.

To date the antiretroviral and antenatal services have been delivered in one room, with overcrowding of passages and posing health risks to patients, infants and staff, and pregnant women having to travel to Bishop Lavis Midwife Obstetric Unit for births.

Department of Health Emergency Services used the other part of the building as an ambulance station. However, the ambulances will move to Tygerberg Hospital at the end of May, and conversions to create two separate service units - one for ARVs and the other Obstetrics - will commence at the beginning of June, and are expected to take two (2) months.

Through the mediation of the SA Medical and Education Foundation, Adcock-Ingram will sponsor the R1.5 million conversion. The new Adcock-Ingram HIV TB Clinic will have eleven (11) rooms, with a waiting area for 70 patients. Supporting furniture and equipment will be covered by Thuo-Slots, Kolok, T-Systems, Deli Spices, Authentics and Set Point.

In his address Mr. Tshetlhe Litheko of Adcock-Ingram said, it was a privilege to join hands with Western Cape government to deliver much needed medical services to the people of Delft.

Minister Botha thanked the private sector companies that came to the table with sponsorships, and reiterated, since this government came into power, we have been overwhelmed by offers from the private sector, and we implore you to keep the business running. There are business opportunities for business in liaisons with provincial government, and vice versa. The intervention of private sector contributors is significant because it demonstrates the enthusiasm from the private sector towards the strengthening of our health facilities.

The Delft Community Health Centre serves a rapidly growing indigent population of over five hundred and twenty thousand (520 000) people. Monthly attendance at the clinic averages thirty thousand (30 000), with a growth of five hundred (500) new patients per month. Two thousand (2000) patients per month receive ARV treatment of which nine hundred (900) suffer from TB and this figure is increasing by thirty (30) new cases monthly.

Issued by:
Theuns Botha
Western Cape Minister for Health