Princess Clinic now offers better health services.
ONE pilot project has turned into FIVE clinics earmarked for drug rehabilitation services; 13 clinics offering extended clinic hours to residents; 178 lives saved through emergency interventions; 87 000 patients seen when clinics would normally have been closed.
“Patients can now be assisted at Princess Clinic by social workers between 11am and 5pm Monday to Friday,” said Ward 71 DA councillor, René Benjamin, at the 2018 Debate held at City of Johannesburg’s Council Chambers.
According to Benjamin, health care is life-changing and is therefore one of the most critically important aspects of our lives. In an environment that is constantly changing, clinics have become the safety nets for the most vulnerable in the society.
“The gap between opportunity and access to care is greater today than it has ever been and it is against this backdrop that the Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba, launched the Extended Clinic Hours programme in the City of Joburg. The Pilot Project was recently launched at the Princess Clinic. Today, we can boast that 13 clinics attend to the promotion, detection, management and improvement of residents’ health across the City,” she proudly said.
Benjamin also mentioned that clinics are the first step in assisting residents with critical health issues, repeat medication and even providing a safe environment for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel to collect patients for transportation to hospital. Regrettably, too many EMS personnel have been injured by illegal connections or residents harassing them when they are trying to assist patients who are often critically ill.
Through this Extended Clinic Hours Programme, the City has recorded over 87 000 patient visits at clinics after regular clinic hours, and a resulting decline in the waiting times during ordinary hours of operation. Clinics have also dealt with 178 emergency cases, which involved life-threatening conditions, that left untreated, could have resulted in patients dying.
“ Thanks to the progressive, inclusive and visionary leadership of the DA-led administration, healthcare in the City of Joburg is finally changing the lives of its residents.
This has translated to a total of 3 367 patients being seen by professional nurses and 1 624 more during the extended hours programme,” she said.
In addition she said “ONE man, ONE idea, ONE pilot project, ONE applicant for an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) position, ONE unemployed person’s life and the lives of his entire family changed forever, ONE individual whose dignity was restored by his being able to feed his family, ONE individual who I am proud to say that as of 2 May 2018 is now permanently employed at the Princess Clinic because of ONE PILOT PROJECT.”
Health is not one man’s responsibility. It is the responsibility of a collective led by a visionary. She thanked Mashaba for his vision on this project. She is also thankful for his commitment to ensuring that all citizens have access to quality healthcare in the City of Johannesburg.
Benjamin concluded her speech by saying, “Thank you to the DA-led administration for giving our people the freedom to access quality healthcare; the fairness that allows sick patients to be seen when it was previously impossible to access healthcare; the opportunity to change their lives by being given permanent employment irrespective of their circumstances, and the ability to fulfill dreams and meet goals.”
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