Since opening in 2007, the AHF-supported clinic in Middledrift, a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, has seen a steady rise in the number of patients. Today, the cumulative number of AHF patients in the town is well over 2,000. To prevent overcrowding, after several years of planning and construction, a brand-new extension of the Middledrift Community Health Centre opened its doors on April 22.
“We are very excited about sharing this new health centre with the community,” said Lizo Dziba, AHF Outreach Manager in Eastern Cape. “It is going to make a tremendous difference in the lives of local residents and their access to healthcare in the area.”
The facility will have 12 professional nurses – four of which will be based in the new building on a rotational basis. It will also have one AHF Pharmacist Assistant and two AHF counsellors. Mentoring of the staff will be done by AHF.
AHF staff, management and community members were joined at the opening ceremony by several dignitaries, including Eastern Cape’s Member of Executive Council for Health, Dr. Pumza Dyantyi, the Superintendent-General of the Eastern Cape’s Health Department, Dr. Thobile Mbengashe and the Deputy Director General for Clinical Services, Dr. Patrick Maduna.
The new clinic is situated on a site owned by the Eastern Cape Department of Health. AHF has been working in collaboration with the Department since 2007.