Johannesburg executive mayor Clr Herman Mashaba and Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development, Dr Mpho Phalatse, opened the Joubert Park Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Centre in Johannesburg Central on August 8.
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“The treatment centre is the fourth facility of this nature that the multi-party government is launching. The most recent ones were the Golden Harvest In-patient Treatment Centre, as well as the Eldorado Park Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Centre,” said the office of the MMC for Health and Social Development stakeholder manager Lesego Mathibela.
Mathibela said the opening of this centre is in line with the city’s health and social development integrated strategy to eradicate substance abuse and other related social ills.
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“R30-million in operational expenditure and R12.5-m in capex has been allocated to the Department of Health and Social Development to expand the number of community substance abuse treatment centres to eight by the end of the 2018/19 financial year.
“These centres render the much-needed outpatient rehabilitation services to users, their families and the community. Since the launch of the Tladi facility, there has been an increase in the number of intakes who were enrolled in the outpatient treatment programme.
“In an effort to provide for an integrated and holistic focus on the well-being of communities, ensuring preventative as well as curative health services across all age groups, the city has a 24-hour substance abuse crisis line called Ithemba, which is situated at 28 Harrison Street, Marshalltown in central Johannesburg. The toll-free service provides 24-hour access to professional assistance, tele-counselling services, containment of emotions and feelings, referrals to support services and home visits. As a result of an increase in the number of children dropping out of high school, Ward 59 is faced with a high unemployment rate, crime and drug abuse,” she said.
Mashaba said he was shocked to discover that there are no less than 18 bottle stores and numerous other such establishments dedicated to selling alcohol in this one single ward. He called on residents of Joburg to work closely with the metro police by identifying peddlers and those who make a living by manufacturing drugs.
Phalatse assured the residents of Joubert Park that the relocation of Joubert Park Clinic to Esselen Street Clinic was made with the community’s best interest at heart. She said Esselen Street Clinic has space and capacity to offer a full range of health services as compared to Joubert Park Clinic, whose development was hampered by the park being a heritage site.
“I personally walked from Esselen Street Clinic to Joubert Park to determine the distance and I can assure you that the distance between the two facilities is less than a 10 minutes’ walk. The broader community will benefit by having a community-based substance abuse treatment centre along a busy transport corridor,” she said.
Johan Robyn from the Outreach Foundation commended Mashaba and Phalatse for walking the talk in dealing with the scourge of drugs in the city. The Ithemba toll-free number is 0800 223 217.
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