New drug rehab centre slated for East Rand

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Located in Daveyton, the new centre will offer community-based, outpatient care and represents South Africa's continued shift towards this model of care as inpatient facilities remain few and far between. (File photo) — Located in Daveyton, the new centre will offer community-based, outpatient care and represents South Africa’s continued shift towards this model of care as inpatient facilities remain few and far between. (File photo)

The new centre will be housed in what was formerly the Daveyton Extension Clinic, according to Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipal Spokesperson Themba Gadebe.

Although local members of the AIDS lobby group the Treatment Action Campaign had expressed fears that the clinic’s transformation into an outpatient rehab centre would compromise the care of current clinic patients, Gadebe said patients will be transferred to the newly expanded Daveyton East Clinic just one kilometre away.

With the two clinics already so close to one another, Gadebe noted that patients will still be able to access care within the 5 km radius prescribed by national norms.

Gadebe did not say when the centre was expected to open.

Unveiled on World AIDS Day, the recently expanded Daveyton East Clinic is staffed with about 70 nurses who will offer care and treatment for conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis and HIV, as well as rehabilitation and mental health services. The facility is also set to run a youth programme.

Following a R25 million remodel by the City of Ekurhuleni and gold mining company Gold One International Limited, the newly enlarged clinic is expected to care for more than 8,000 patients in Johannesburg’s East Rand each month.

According to Gold One International Limited Chief Operating Officer Izak Marais, the venture was an effort to bring health care – including HIV treatment – closer to its East Rand employees.

Gadebe added that municipality is exploring new ways to decongest clinics including the use of patient groups as well as community health workers via ward-based outreach teams to help distribute chronic medicines. – Health-e News.