By Kopano Dibakwane
A new primary healthcare facility(Phola Clinic-Phola Ogies) in Emalahleni local municipality, was handed over by Minister of Health-Dr Joe Phaahla and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy-Gwede Mantashe on Thursday.
The R17 676 260 state-of-the-art facility is said to be aimed at relieving the pressure on the old Phola clinic due to the growing population in the area, as an attempt to improve the provision of healthcare. It is also said that the facility comes as a result of the social and labour plan project implemented by Seriti Coal and Khutala Colliery.
According to the department of health in Mpumalanga, 56 direct and indirect job opportunities were created since the construction of the facility commenced. Some of the features in the facility include; six consulting rooms, 3 virtual rooms, an emergency room, a dispensary, and other rooms supporting the daily operation of the facility.
Mantashe called upon the community of Phola to look after the clinic and treat it as a valuable asset. ” Community must desist from destroying their own assets in the name of demanding other services. The social and labour plans, and intergrated development plan(IDP) should talk to each other to address many issues of the communities,” said Mantashe.
Mpumalanga MEC for Health, Sasekani Manzini, welcomed the partnership between government and Seriti. She also said that her department is moving with speed to achieve ideal status for all health facilities in the province. She mentioned that Mpumalanga has 247 ideal clinics divided amongst the districts of Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande, Nkangala, including 214 platinum status clinics also divided amongst the same districts.
” As a province, we just completed the backlog we had on orthopedic surgeries through our orthopedic marathon programme, and recently,we have launched women’s health marathons(surgery cases), and I have been informed that we have surpassed our target,” said Manzini.
Dr Phaahla said that the construction of the clinic is a major contribution to universal health coverage.
” I have no doubt this clinic will reach an ideal clinic status and improve access to primary health care services,” said Phaahla.
