An informed, prosperous and healthy community is the cornerstone for humanity to flourish and thus achieve their maximum potential.
These are the sentiments expressed by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Cllr Solly Msimanga when outlining the City’s Health departments’ vision.
“At the City of Tshwane, within the Health Department in particular, we recognize that widening access to primary healthcare facilities is vital to ensure that residents have access to deal with particular ailments and reduce the burden of disease. It is critical that we ensure that there is a progressive realization of access to healthcare and we are doing our part one step at a time to ensure that this human right is enjoyed by as many residents as possible”.
“To deliver on the promise of creating healthy, safe communities, the City will continue to partner with provincial and national government, community, faith, and non-governmental organisations to facilitate and support programmes that promote responsible choices and reduce the burden of disease” says Msimanga.
The City of Tshwane appreciates that the provision of a comprehensive health care system is intertwined with access to clean water, sanitation and waste removal services which, if neglected may have disastrous implications on communities. These interventions will drive the change we want to see, that of a livable, inclusive and prosperous city.
To achieve this, the City has set up a new vision that capitalises on our position as SA’s capital of opportunity and on our approach that we need to focus on transforming the city’s social and economic spheres and that this needs to be done through social, institutional and spatial transformation. Vision 2030 is based on the pillars of fairness. freedom and opportunity. Under this vision, the City has accomplished milestones in improving access to, and maintaining high quality health care services across the seven regions by ensuring that all patients receive treatment in twenty-four of City’s clinics:
- Soshanguve Block J.J clinic renovations are complete. The clinic opened its doors for the public on 5 June 2017. The City has arranged with GP Health to operate the clinic for extended hours
- The upgrading and construction of Zithobeni is completed. The clinic infrastructure belong to the City. The City is however, making them available for the GP Health Department to manage and operate them through an existing Service Level Agreement.
- The upgraded clinic will operate for 12 hours from Monday to Friday, and open on Saturdays from 2017/18 onwards.
- The City is upgrading the Rayton Clinic from the current financial year and has committed an amount of R40 Million to complete the project over the next 18 months. Upon completion, the City will partner with GP Health to manage and operate the clinic for extended hours.
- Similarly, Rayton clinic will operate for 12 hours from Monday to Friday, and open on Saturdays upon completion.
- An amount of R5 million has been allocated to complete the upgrading of Phahameng, and to commence the upgrading of Eldorraigne clinic dispensaries.
Above plans are in line with City’s strategic objective to stabilize City’s infrastructure services and social security stabilization and deliver reliable services and build investor confidence.
Tshwane is committed to ensuring that there is a progressive realization of access to healthcare and it is doing its part to ensure that the community has universal access to facilities.