To accommodate residents of the surrounding area, Malvern Clinic’s operating hours were recently extended.
The clinic will cater to patients on Saturdays from 7am to 1pm on top of its normal operating hours during the week.
The decision to extend the clinic’s hours forms part of the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) aim to make health-care services more accessible to the community.
Ward 118 Clr Neuren Pietersen welcomed the extension of the clinic’s hours.
He said the extension of the hours formed part of an initiative which started three years ago.
Two months ago, Mike Spadino from Malvern told the EXPRESS the new operating hours were implemented at the start of August.
Like Pietersen, he praised the development and encouraged community members to make use of the opportunity.
Pietersen believes the extended hours should reduce pressure on the clinic during the week.
“From the information I have received from Malvern Clinic staff, the response from the community was positive,” said Pietersen.
He said the extension of the operating hours will benefit community members who work and are unable to get to the clinic before it closes or need to take leave to visit the clinic.
“By having a healthy community, the city will have residents who can continue working and look after their families.”
In a press statement issued earlier this year, Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development Clr Mpho Phalatse said by the end of the 2019/20 financial year the city hopes to have 36 clinics operating with extended hours.
In the CoJ district, there are 79 fixed primary health-care (PHC) clinics that render primary health-care services to the community.
Historically, this was done five days a week, Monday to Friday.
Between November 2016 and May 2019, a total of 1 991 614 patients were seen at clinics offering extended hours of service.
Of the 1 991 614 patients, 18.8 per cent (374 835) were seen during extended hours.
During this period, 704 emergencies were attended to during the extended hours.
The emergencies ranged from respiratory distress, vomiting and dehydration, pregnancy-related health concerns, injuries from assaults, burns, stab wounds, dog bites and paraffin poisoning/ingestion.
Phalatse said since the start of the programme to extend operating hours, waiting times have declined, which allows clinics to assist more people.
“We are not legislated to offer a 24-hour health-care service, but through the steps we are taking, more and more of our clinics will operate until late in the evening,” said Phalatse.
She said this service will be rolled out as per the available budget.
“We will continue to empower the health system to adequately meet the needs of our residents. After all, a healthy city is a working city,” emphasised Phalatse.
Contact Malvern Clinic on 011 622 1245 for more information.
