The facility is celebrating its first year in existence since opening on 25 September 2019, providing services to an average of 2 600 clients each month.
The City of Cape Town’s Pelican Park Community Day Centre (CDC) has reached a milestone – celebrating its first year in operation.
Opened to the public on 25 September 2019, the facility has serviced more than 26 000 clients in its first 10 months of operation.
Services rendered have included:
- 1 871 HIV tests
- 177 clients on Anti-retroviral treatment
- 92 clients enrolled on TB treatment
- 262 full immunisations for children younger than one
- 1 100 children dewormed
- Vitamin A supplement to 2 220 children between 1 and 5 years of age
- 2 256 clients for family planning (injection and the pill)
- 310 clients for their first antenatal visits
‘This is no mean feat, especially considering the year we’ve had. Barely five months into existence, the staff were faced with the COVID-19 pandemic along with the rest of the health fraternity. They have done a sterling job, and made it through the peak without a single closure due to COVID exposure.
‘The statistics also underscore the importance of the facility in the growing community of Pelican Park and surrounds, and I want to congratulate the staff and clients on this milestone,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
The CDC shares a milestone with a local resident – Mikhail Carolus (pictured on the far right with his mom, Marcheline Carolus) who will turn one just more than a week after the clinic.
Eight days after opening, staff had to jump into action to help deliver the little boy after the mom-to-be came knocking for assistance.
Marcheline Carolus was due to give birth at the Retreat Community Health Centre’s MOU, but Mikhail was eager to find his way into the world and instead asked the stork to land at Pelican Park.
‘City health facilities aren’t generally birth centres, but staff can assist if need be, as was the case with little Mikhail’s arrival. In fact, they were called on to step in again in June this year, and help deliver a second baby at the facility. The mom-to-be started getting contractions on the Sunday evening, but wasn’t too concerned as her due date was only the following month. However, the following morning, the contractions suddenly became unbearable and she therefore reported to her nearest facility, which was Pelican Park CDC, were after a few minutes, the staff delivered a healthy baby boy. These joyous events are a sign that staff are at the ready to assist the community in any way possible, and I encourage residents to fully exploit the services that are available to them,’ added Councillor Badroodien.