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MEC opens Paballong clinic in Mt Fletcher
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Health

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MEDIA RELEASE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
 14 DECEMBER 2000


GOQWANA OPENS CLINIC AT MT FLETCHER

In his efforts to fulfil the government’s Constitutional obligation of “access to Health Services”, as stated in the Bill of Rights, 
Eastern Cape Province Health MEC, Dr Bevan Goqwana, will open officially a Paballong Clinic in Mt Fletcher on Friday 15, 2000.

The Paballong Clinic story has been of hardship and courage going back to 1976 when residents of the Paballong A/Area identified a need for 
the service. There were problems with site allocation creating disorganisation with six beneficiary communities not agreeing on where the 
clinic should be built. This delayed the construction of the clinic until the Independent Development Trust (IDT) intervened in 1991. The 
construction started that year and was completed in 1992.

However, disagreements over its location led to the communities boycotting the clinic. From 1992 to 1996 it stood as a white elephant until 
1997 when one nurse opened it and worked with two volunteer cleaners and two volunteer guards. The communities supported the volunteers, 
however, the funds soon dried up and used for other services.

Dr Goqwana’s official opening of the clinic on Friday would be a major step in ensuring that the department caters for the clinic 
addressing imbalances of the past. Rural communities in the past suffered considerably because health care services had been non-existent.

In the last three months alone, Dr Goqwana has brought health services closer to 170 000 people. This excludes Hospital Rehabilitation 
Programme projects that focussed on the reconstruction of certain crucial departments in hospitals.

The magnitude of backlogs in health service delivery forces each clinic to serve 17 000 people instead of 10 000. With the support that the 
Health Department is receiving from other Departments, it is envisaged that these backlogs will be dealt with in due course.

Our vision is to promote Primary Health Care so that people with illnesses people can go to clinics instead of district hospitals. Taking 
clinics to communities can help avoid certain preventable diseases, as health workers will be close by to advise and educate.

The clinics mentioned hereunder were opened by the MEC from beginning July.

CLINIC   AREA    DATE    COST
Mangqmzeni       Tabankulu       07/07/00        R1 million (funded by Micro Projects and built by the community)
Maxhwele         Umtata  18/07/00        Built by the community in 1994
Qaqa     Tabankulu       14/09/00        Funded by IDT
Queen’s Mecy     Maluti  15/09/00        Funded by IDT
Tshembeyi        Lady Frere      22/09/00
Rolweni  Mt Fletcher     06/10/00        Built by the department through RDP – R1 million
Mzongwana        Maluti  13/10/00        Built by the department through RDP – R1.3 million
Mvoti    Umzimkulu       28/10/00        RDP – R1.2 million
Kat-Kop  Qumbu   17/11/00        Built by the IDT
Lower Tsitsana   Mt Fletcher     28/11/00        Presidential Projects Team R1.3 million
St Augustine     Tsolo   01/12/00
Intywenka        Tsolo   04/12/00        R2.1 million

Ends

Issued by Joe Mjoli  Enquiries 040 635 2166
 Office of the MEC for Health


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