New Community Health Centre

For the past 12 years health services for the residents of Brown's Farm, Philippi, have been rendered under difficult circumstances from 12 shipping containers. Now this regrettable situation that has deprived these residents of decent health facilities is over as the Western Cape government opens a new Community Health Centre.

Speaking at the official opening of the R5, 6m state of the art facility, Health Minister Pierre Uys said: "The wait for the new Community Health Centre (CHC) in Philippi is now over."

"Patients will now receive quality health care at a modern facility closest to them," Minister Uys added.

The new Community Health Care Centre currently serves a population of approximately 80 000 people and is treating approximately 35 000 patients per year. Staff complement include a facility manager who has been working in the clinic since its inception, a doctor, a full time pharmacist, five professional nurses, two nursing assistants, two administrative clerks, two general assistants and one lay councilor.

The new facility will have 6 consulting rooms, a dressing room, an emergency room, a seminar room for training purposes and a tuberculoses (TB) sputum room.

Some of the quality health care services that will now be rendered at the facility include emergency care, TB detection, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), nutrition programmes and support groups for chronic care such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma

Minister Fransman said his department has once again demonstrated its commitment to deliver quality facilities to the previously disadvantaged communities for them to enjoy the fruits of democracy of South Africa and make the Western Cape a home that equally cares for all its citizens.

"My department has accelerated the delivery of social infrastructure in order to respond to both the client departments and communities' demands. We have built and maintained more schools and health facilities than ever in the history of this province and we plan to maintain this momentum. We have also ensured that through these constructions, we create work opportunities. The construction of this Community Health Centre in Brown's Farm has created 422 work opportunities - 38 people employed per month."

"Last year we delivered 22 state of the art schools in most disadvantaged communities. Most of these schools that were a response to the call by President Thabo Mbeki for us to build schools so that no child studies under a tree, were built in record periods of six months."

"We are now busy with 6 schools in Khayelitsha with a total value of more than R100m and two 240 beds hospitals in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. Each hospital will be worth approximately R300m."

"Together with the Departments of Health and Education we have identified 77 major projects with a combined investment of R19, 9 billion that could be implemented and completed by 2014. These projects include:

• 60 new schools
• 12 new and upgraded hospitals
• 4 regional offices and one head office block for government departments.

"These projects will stimulate economic activity in the built environment, contribute to the 6% growth rate required in terms of ASGISA, created jobs and skills development."

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Issued by:
The Directorate Communications
Office of the Superintendent of Health, Western Cape
Department of Health
Faiza Steyn
Director: Communication
Tel: 021 483 3235
Herman van der Westhuizen
Media Liaison Officer to the Minister of Health
Tel: 021 483 2627
Eric Ntabazalila
Cell: 083 647 6311