Official Opening of Oudtshoorn Clinic and International Accreditation for Oudtshoorn Hospital | Western Cape Government

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Official Opening of Oudtshoorn Clinic and International Accreditation for Oudtshoorn Hospital

24 May 2012

The previous clinic was situated in the centre of town near a busy and noisy taxi rank and bus terminus in Regent Street. The structure of the clinic in Regent Street was unpractical and it was therefore decided to relocate the clinic to the new address in Adderley Street. Construction on the new clinic, at a cost of R3.75-million, started in January 2012.

"I'm proud that we were able to renovate this clinic in less than five months for the Oudtshoorn community who are dependant on public medical services. The number of patients that visit this clinic in a month is relatively high. Last year the clinic and the moblie units treated 34 000 patients," said Minister Botha.

The upgraded Clinic consists of 8 consulting rooms, a doctor's room, observation and dressing room, mental health consultation room, Voluntary Counselling and Testing(VCT) room, TB and TB specialist room, sputum booth, 3 store rooms, a well-equipped pharmacy with a waiting area for patients and 2 offices for mobile clinic staff. The Oudtshoorn Clinic services the 89480 people of the Oudtshoorn community and surrounding areas.

Services rendered at the clinic include Primary Health Care, Family planning, HIV & TB, ARV, Mental health, Dietetic services, Counselling, Oral health, Maternal health, Woman's health, Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy.

The above-mentioned services will be rendered daily from 07:00 - 16:00 (Monday - Friday) from 28 May 2012. The staff comprises of 3 clinical nurse practitioners, 1 mental health nurse, a health promoter and a VCT counselor, 2 mobile nurses, 2 assistant nurses, one staff nurse, 2 general assistants, administration clerk and a security officer. Patients are referred to Oudtshoorn Hospital. The burden of disease in Oudtshoorn is mainly diabetes, malnutrition, STI's and TB.

Oudtshoorn Hospital
Oudtshoorn Hospital celebrated their international Mother and Baby- Friendly Initiative (MBFI) accreditation which they have received in 2008 and kept after re-evaluation in 2010.

"This is a great achievement and not an accreditation easily obtained. The hospital's maternity unit will be constantly monitored to ensure that they continue to meet these high standards. This type of accreditation and performance can only be obtained through teamwork by all staff in the maternity ward. They deserve high praise," said Minister Botha.

The MBFI is a global campaign launched in 1992 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and is based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Maternity facilities are assessed using globally established criteria and those that meet all the criteria may be accredited as Baby-Friendly. In South Africa, the MBFI was launched in 1994 and St. Monica's Maternity Hospital was the first hospital to be accredited Mother and Baby Friendly.

This prestigious accreditation is a globally recognized quality standard which both parents and professionals can be proud of. In the Western Cape Province, MBFI (Child health) is one of the 8 common goals that are set as priority by the Department of Health. It is also a measure of the quality of care. All facilities that render services to mothers and babies are thus challenged to make the MBFI a reality.

The Mother and Baby Friendly Initiative supports the right of mothers to choose how to feed and care for their babies. Health care professionals have the responsibility to care, encourage best practice and to ensure that parents are given appropriate, accurate and unbiased information to allow them to make fully informed choices. In the interest of supporting informed choice, all educational materials used in Mother and Baby-Friendly facilities are expected to comply with the International code of marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Breastfeeding is acknowledged to be the best way of feeding and caring for infants and is important for infant development, while also providing benefits to the mother. Research findings on the introduction of MBFI in health facilities have been associated with a reduction in infant mortality, particularly as a result of diarrhea and respiratory infection. The Oudtshoorn Hospital maternity unit has an average of 1822 births per year.

Today marks a milestone of improved service delivery for the Oudtshoorn community and is an encouragement to them to play their part in increasing wellness by preventing illness and injury. Together, this is a step towards better health service.

    The Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, officially opened the Oudtshoorn Clinic today 25 May 2012. Mr Botha also visited the Oudtshoorn Hospital where he unveiled the hospital's newest plaque received for maintaining their Baby and Mother Friendly Initiative (BMFI) accreditation.
Media Enquiries: 

Hélène Rossouw
Spokesperson for Minister Botha
Tel: 021 483 4426
Cell: 082 771 8834
E-mail: helene.rossouw@pgwc.gov.za

Nadia Ferreira
Principal Communications Officer: Eden District
Tel: 044 803 2725
Cell: 076 379 5423
E-mail: NFERREIRA@pgwc.gov.za