Sod Turning Ceremony for New R7 Million Bothasig Clinic | Western Cape Government

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Sod Turning Ceremony for New R7 Million Bothasig Clinic

25 March 2007
The City of Cape Town said today the sod turning ceremony for the construction of the new R7 million Bothasig Clinic will take place on 27 March.

The present clinic has been hopelessly inadequate for many years, as the average number of patients has grown to over 1 200 a month, with additional thousands of chronic care visits every year, and even more patient visits to the clinic's professional nurse.

The new clinic will provide a balanced healthcare system within the context of optimal socio-economic development.

It will comprise adequate public waiting space, 4 storerooms, ablution facilities, admin office space, a preparation area for adults and children, 4 consulting rooms, 2 counselling rooms, 3 treatment rooms, a sluice and utility room, health education room, pharmacy and medication store and on site parking for patients and staff.

The facility will focus on nurse-based services, with doctors' support. The services which will be available include mother and child health, immunisation, growth monitoring and advice, preventative services for children under 5, curative services for children under 13, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, TB and HIV care and nutritional services.

The services of a permanent doctor and pharmacist have already been secured, and chronic services will include the delivery of pre-packed chronic medication, which will be given to patients after routine blood pressure and glucose monitoring tests.

Councillor James Vos, chairperson of the City's Portfolio Committee on Health and chairperson of the De Grendel Sub Council, will officially turn the sod. He said: "The new clinic would offer a far better service than was initially dreamed possible, and many thousands of people will benefit from the proper healthcare facility they have needed for so long."

The symbolic sod-turning and blessing of the soil would bring new hope, he said, to the lives of so many residents. The Clinic would open the door for them to the healthcare services which they deserved and, for many, would mean better health and prolonged life expectancy.

"It was almost seven years ago, just after I was first elected Councillor for this Ward, that I first went down on bended knees and begged for funding for a Healthcare Centre for my area, because it was clearly apparent that there was a vital necessity for a clinic to serve the residents of Bothasig, Edgemead and surrounding suburbs.

"It took a little while to convince those holding the purse strings but, to my delight, the funding was finally approved," Councillor Vos said.

He added that a Planning and Commissioning Working Group was assembled and the key objectives were to identify the needs of the community and, together with the project management, compile the development scope of the project. Consultants were then appointed, and plans drawn.

The sod-turning ceremony marked a great victory, he added. "It represents a triumph for many thousands of Capetonians who have for so many years desperately needed a facility in this area.

"So many of our residents cannot afford expensive medical care and, in many cases, do not even have transport to other healthcare centres. This is therefore a victory for them, a victory for me as their elected representative, and a victory for the City of Cape Town".

Date: Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Time: 17:00 (5pm)
Venue: Corner De Grendel Avenue and Swellengrebel Road, Bothasig

All media are welcome to attend.

Issued by:

Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media Queries:
Councillor James Vos
Tel: 021 400 1680

Media Enquiries: