By Charmaine Ndlela
Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Faith Mazibuko, together with Emfuleni Local Municipality mayor Hassan Mako, officially handed over the newly built Johan Heyns Gateway Clinic to Sedibeng District Health Services and the Vanderbijlpark community on Tuesday.
The new facility is expected to improve access to primary healthcare, reduce waiting times and strengthen emergency medical services for residents of Vanderbijlpark and surrounding communities while the former Johan Heyns Community Health Centre is redeveloped into a district hospital.
Speaking at the handover, Mazibuko said the clinic would bring essential healthcare services closer to residents and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to access medical care at other facilities.
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“Today, as we are opening this Johan Heyns Gateway Clinic, we hope that the community around here in Vanderbijlpark will have access to healthcare,” she said.
“Whilst we are still sorting out that building that used to be a hospital, it is going back to being a hospital again, so that we don’t have to travel long distances to go either to Kopanong or Sebokeng.”
The former Johan Heyns Community Health Centre is being redeveloped into a district hospital, which is expected to expand healthcare services in the region once completed.
In a statement, the department noted that the newly built gateway clinic will provide residents with access to a comprehensive range of primary healthcare services while work continues on the hospital project.
The state-of-the-art facility features 35 purpose-built spaces and systems, including 13 consulting rooms, an emergency room, a triage and vital signs area, a physiotherapy room and a dispensary.
It is also equipped with a digital patient flow system that enables clinicians to generate prescriptions electronically and send them directly to the pharmacy. The system is intended to improve efficiency, reduce queues and limit the time patients spend waiting for medication.
The clinic also houses a Gauteng Emergency Medical Services base, which will strengthen emergency medical response services in Vanderbijlpark and neighbouring communities.
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Mazibuko said the opening demonstrated the provincial government’s commitment to investing in healthcare infrastructure that responds to the needs of communities and improves the quality of service delivery.
“As we open this new clinic, we are confident that the community of Vanderbijlpark will have access to essential primary healthcare services while the reconstruction and redevelopment of the old Johan Heyns facility into a district hospital continues,” she said.
“This clinic reflects our vision of a healthcare system that is accessible, integrated and responsive to the needs of our people. It also ensures that patients receive care in a modern, dignified and efficient environment.”
The re-development of the former facility into a district hospital is expected to provide communities with access to a broader range of healthcare interventions closer to where they live.
The project forms part of the Gauteng Department of Health’s ongoing efforts to modernise healthcare infrastructure, improve patient experience and strengthen access to quality healthcare across the province.
The Johan Heyns Gateway Clinic will operate from Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 16:00.
Its services include the management of acute and minor ailments, chronic disease care, HIV, sexually transmitted infection and tuberculosis services, antenatal care, family planning, and mother and child healthcare.
Patients will also be able to access social work, rehabilitation, mental health, men’s health and dietetic services, as well as Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services, health promotion and community outreach programmes.
The facility will further provide Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution services to support patients who require ongoing medication.
Mazibuko called on residents to protect the new facility against vandalism and criminal activity, saying the community had a role to play in safeguarding public healthcare infrastructure.
“We will continue investing in healthcare infrastructure that responds to the growing needs of our communities and improves access to quality care,” she said.
“We call on residents to take ownership of this facility, protect it from vandalism and criminality, and work with us to safeguard this valuable community asset so that it can continue serving current and future generations.”
