BuaNews (Tshwane)
Kagiso Metswamere
3 December 2008
Driefontein — Three clinics were opened in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in the North West on Tuesday to help ensure communities in the area receive proper health care.
The clinics were built at the Swartkop, Ntsweletsweku and Driefontein villages.
The Driefontein clinic is one of the largest newly-built clinics in the province, boasting more consultation rooms, maternity rooms and enough space for other health care services than most other clinics nearby.
Driefontein village resident Fransinah Kukung, 53, told BuaNews that the clinic they had previously used was more than 70 kilometres away and not big enough to handle many patients.
"I am happy about this development in my village. It has brought a lot of happiness not only to me but the rest of the community in my village.
"Many were suffering, especially those women who went into labour. The other clinic does not have enough space to accommodate more than two people giving birth at the same time," she said.
The Driefontein clinic will serve about 5 000 people, while all three are expected to boost successes in fighting diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, sugar diabetes and other diseases.
Ms Kukung further thanked government for responding to their needs when they needed them the most.
"We waited for more than a year for a better clinic from government, now our dreams have come true. This is a huge blessing," she said.
North West Health MEC, Nomonde Rasmeni said the opening of the clinics had brought the department a step closer to creating a better life for all communities in the province, especially those in remote villages.
She said the department's primary health care approach has been aimed at broadening access to health care services, promoting healthy lifestyle and encouraging the prevention of all communicable and non-communicable diseases.
"We deeply understand the challenges that the communities in these villages have to live with. They have called for help and we have responded," said Ms Rasmeni.
These challenges include building clinics, nurse and doctor shortages, a shortage of medication in clinics as well as a lack of modern medical technologies and equipment.
"While we can attest to a number of successes in dealing with the challenges, it is equally important that you continue to exercise patience while we continue to tackle other outstanding challenges," she said.
MEC Rasmeni highlighted that clinics have over the years played an important role in the fighting minor diseases and in the general provision of primary health care.
"What seems to slip the mind of many people is the fact that the battle against these diseases is fought on the ground in our clinics by our dedicated nurses who sometimes work under demanding conditions," MEC Rasmeni said.
The national government has committed to ensuring all South Africans have access to proper health care within a 5km radius.
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