12 Rural villages to benefit from new Thengwe Clinic

LIMPOPO – The Thengwe Clinic was officially opened in Thengwe Thondoni in the Mutale area last Monday, and has replaced the old and dilapidated clinic which was built by missionaries in the 1940s.

Residents from some 12 rural villages including Bashasha, Makhwilidza and Maheni among others under Thovhele Vudzidzhena Nethengwe are set to benefit from the clinic, which will operate 24 hours a day.

Narrating the long history of Thengwe Clinic, Thovhele Nethengwe applauded the vision of his late father, Thovhele Mmbulungeni Nethengwe, who allowed religious missionaries to establish a rural based clinic in their area.

He also related how the first nurse was Christina Ravhuanzwo, in April 1943.

“As traditional leaders, we are the custodians of the communities, and we are happy when real development is happening right in our rural villages. We want Thengwe village to be the centre of development in Mutale, and we urge the Department of Education to build state-of-the-art schools, equipped with laboratories and computer centres too.”

The chairperson of the Thengwe clinic committee, Pastor Nkhangweleni Nenzhelele said they stand proud of the new state-of the art clinic built in their village.

Officially opening Thengwe Clinic, Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said her department was providing quality health care services.

“Thengwe clinic will restore patients’ dignity as a rural woman who needs to give birth at the clinic will receive the same services as someone who goes to a private hospital or a hospital in Sandton. We urge nurses and doctors who will be working here to treat patients with respect and I don’t want patients shown the door with nurses saying there is no medication.”

The MEC discouraged the communities from vandalising the newly built clinic, saying they must own and protect it.