The Tshwane mayor appealed to Olievenhoutbosch and Mooiplaas residents not to burn down three brand-new mobile clinics unveiled on Wednesday afternoon.
The three fully-equipped clinics, which were funded by cement producer PPC, will service about 3 000 patients per month.
One of the clinics will operate in Olievenhoutbosch, Mooiplaas and Laezonia while the other two clinics will be deployed elsewhere in the coming months.
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Addressing community members at the Olievenhoutbosch community centre on Wednesday, Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa urged them to keep the clinics safe.
“These mobile clinics have nothing to do with service delivery protests,” Mokgalapa said.
“Please do not burn them during protests as you will need their services the next day.”
The clinics, open from 08:00 to 15:00, will offer basic healthcare services including TB and HIV testing, counselling and family planning.
Emergency cases will be referred to the Laudium community health centre.
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The clinics will allow for the employment of 12 permanent staff members, including two nurses and an administrator or driver in each unit.
“Seventy percent of Tshwane residents do not have access to private medical aid or private hospitals,” said Mokgalapa.
“Communities still have to walk long distances to reach healthcare facilities.”
“Mobile clinics have become the preferred method of reaching those in informal settlements.”
The clinics, which cost R3.5-million, feature two fully-equipped consultation rooms each.
“A fridge on the inside will keep medicine at the required temperature while vehicles to transport the clinics and staff have also been provided.”
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Realising the metro alone couldn’t provide health services to PPC workers living in informal settlements, the company decided to help, according to PPC South Africa managing director Njombo Lekula.
“To ensure the clinics are sustainable, we have entered into a partnership with the metro,” Lekula said.
“They will assume responsibility for the maintenance and replenishment of the facilities to ensure the community is able to benefit from them.”
The company review the clinics every five years.
“As a proudly South African company we remain committed to using our strengths to invest in our communities.”
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