By Luvuyo Mjekula
The Gift of the Givers Foundation spent six weeks and about R700 000 renovating two Makhanda public health facilities, making them a conducive working environment and friendly to visitors.
The foundation’s founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, revealed in Makhanda on Wednesday that the cost of the renovations to the Anglo African Clinic in Huntley Street and Joza Clinic, came close to R700 000.
Doors, windows, floors, ceiling, water leaks were repaired, walls were painted, new gutters and a 10 000-litre water tank were installed. The Joza Clinic has a new wheelchair ramp.
“Whatever would make the clinics look better, we did it. Everything to add colour, aesthetics, practicality, to fix what’s broken. Small interventions make a big difference. Taken together, the renovations cost nearly R700 000,” said Sooliman as he, his team as well as local and district health officials went on walkabouts to view the upgrades on Wednesday morning.
The team cut a ribbon at each facility, first at Anglo African and later at Joza, where they also handed out bags of mealie meal to patients and nearby residents.
Acting Makana Health Sub-district manager, Mohamed Docrat, said he was surprised when he was told by Gift of the Givers to select two facilities for upgrades, and in the space of a couple of weeks, the process to get started on the project had been concluded.
“A week later, Waseem [Benjamin, the project’s manager] was here with his team and made it happen.”
Docrat said the health department had huge infrastructure backlogs and the Gift of the Givers’ project came at a critical time.
“For infrastructure, we have a huge backlog. The clinics are the most neglected. Of all the health facilities, it’s the clinics that are suffering, [even though they]are the first point of entry for the patient.”
He was quick to point out that Makana was not the only place where clinics were not looked after. “It’s not only in Makana where the clinics are suffering, it’s everywhere. There’s a backlog of repairs. I think your (Gift of the Givers’) list is probably thousands, if not more.”
Docrat thanked the foundation for an “extremely special” project.
“If you had not come, the town clinic would have not been painted in the next, I don’t know how many years, because there is a queue there by the department of Health. Even Joza, what you have done there is unbelievable, it makes such a change for patients and staff.”
Sooliman said the organisation has had a long-standing relationship with Makhanda, trucking in water, drilling boreholes and providing assistance when disaster struck. He and his team were encouraged by the commitment shown by staff at the two health facilities.
“Joza Clinic opens seven days a week, and you can see the commitment of the staff in both clinics. When I see that kind of commitment, from public healthcare workers, it makes me very happy because people get depressed, demoralized, they are very sad, there are budgetary constraints, they can’t get what they want. And here, they keep smiling and they take their work seriously. People like that need to be supported, psychologically and emotionally.”
“What is important is knowing the people you are working with – will the clinic be well looked after, well managed, will the money be well spent? Will the patients be looked after?” said Sooliman.
Ayanda Titi, deputy director of health services in the Sarah Baartman District, said: “This is healing. What you are doing, you are really healing us. The renovations and space you have created, how the staff appreciate it when they come to work, their mental health, emotional health. You are helping us and our staff to be excited about our work and [you are giving us]a purpose to come [to work].”
“The team that was here worked tirelessly day and night and we thank them. It was a bit of an inconvenience for the patients but we were able to explain to them the situation. We, as staff, also went home with patches of paint,” joked Anglo African Clinic professional nurse Miselwa Mithotshi.
She said the clinic was in such a bad state, “but now we are proud and grateful”, she said
Khanyisa Xotyeni, sister-in-charge at Joza Clinic, also thanked Gift of the Givers. “I’m very excited, also for the staff – when we come here, we breathe fresh air because it is clean, and for the patients as well, they feel comfortable.”
Ward 2 councillor Ramie Xonxa: “When we see this facility like this, we are excited.” Xonxa explained that before it was transformed into a clinic, the municipality and the community had made efforts to protect the building from vandalism by arranging for a police officer to reside in it. “We are happy now that the facility has been renovated in this fashion.”
