Mayor Mashaba digs deep to fund extension of service hours in City clinics
Since the beginning of the extended hours at the clinic, 7000 patients have been helped.
Speaking during the ceremony, Mashaba told residents of Princess that healthcare was a right for all regardless of their economic status. He said he had to honour the wishes of Nomphelo Maziko and her daughter by changing the healthcare operating hours of all the clinics under his administration.
Due to the success of the pilot project at Princess Clinic, the extended hours were rolled out to five other clinics in the City, namely:
o Freedom Park Clinic; o Hikensile Clinic; o Randburg Clinic; o Zandspruit Clinic; and o Albert Street Clinic.
“I could not sit back and not act after Miss Maziko and her child touched my heart. I pleaded with Council soon after we were elected to find funds to enable us to at least extend service hours at this clinic (Princess). Luckily there was huge budget available for the previous Mayor to travel abroad. As I
Metropolitan Centre, 158 Loveday Street. Braamfontein
P O Box 1049, Johannesburg, 2000
Tel: +27 11 407 7558 Fax: +27 11 339 5704
had no intention to travel abroad, we used that budget to fund the extension of service hours at Princess Clinic and a year after we adopted the pilot project, I am glad the program is proving to be a success,’’ said the Mayor adding that the service has since been rolled out to five more clinics across the city.
“Our people deserve better services and we will continue to seek solutions to respond to their needs.”
In line with the integrated extended services package at these clinics, a social worker is employed to focus on rendering social development services and ensure linkages with internal and external stakeholders for referral purposes.
The operating hours are from 11:00 to 19:00 to improve access for working customers. The focus is on community development and community mobilisation with emphasis on providing the following: Psycho-social support; Skills Development; Food Security; Substance abuse prevention.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development, Cllr Mpho Phalatse said the extension of service hours to some of the City run clinics was proving to be a success, with Princess Clinic and Freedom Park Clinic seeing over 30% more patients during the extended hours.
Phalatse said there has been a significant reduction in waiting times in most of the clinics, and overall improvements in patient satisfaction.
“We will continue to roll out extended hours of service throughout our local government clinics with the aim of covering all clinics by the end of this Mayoral term of office,” she said.
Phalatse said the overwhelming response from residents is a clear indication that the extension of service hours was a much needed service that residents have been deprived of for far too long.
“The DA-led coalition government in the City of Johannesburg values the lives of residents, and will continue to invest heavily in their health and wellbeing. After all - a healthy city is a working city,’’ said Phalatse.
In just 12 months since the Mayor launched extended hours, there has been an increase of those who access our health institutions after hours, especially working mothers.
The Mayor promised the residents of Princess that he will continue to serve them with dedication by improving service delivery across the city.
For more information, please contact:
Dominic Mahlangu
Communications: Office of the MMC for Health and Social Development
Cell: 082 751 7791
Email: mahlangudominic@gmail.com
