Ithembalethu open day held at Heidelberg Hospital

On June 24 the Heidelberg Hospital hosted an Ithembalethu open day along with a belated Child Protection Week commemoration.

Ithembalethu is a specialised centre rendering clinical forensic medical services (CFMS) to survivors of sexual assault, gender-based violence, human trafficking and examination of drunken-driving suspects.

The centre has been operating within the Heidelberg Hospital for five years.

With the observed underutilisation of services rendered at Ithembalethu Centre, along with rising numbers in various cases, the purpose of the event was to remarket the services of the centre.

Various stakeholders and children from Siyabathanda Day Care also joined the day’s events.

“The purpose of the day is to give information about our beautiful Ithembalethu,” said Ithembalethu Centre manager, matron Potetsa Thithi.

“This is a specialised centre which is called clinical forensic medical services. The services of this centre are not available from a private doctor or private hospital. Even if you go to your nearest clinic, they cannot give you services that are rendered here.

“There are only two kinds of these centres in the Sedibeng District.”

Thithi further clarified why such services are only limited to Ithembalethu and the Thuthuzela Centre in the Kopanong Hospital in Sedibeng District.

“Cases that we deal with here have to do with the Department of Justice and often go to court,” she said.

“We manage survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking and gender-based violence survivors.

“We also examine drunken driving suspects, suspects of sexual offences and other crimes that are brought to us by the court and the Department of Community Safety,” she said.

Thithi concluded by saying they want Ithembalethu to be known by stakeholders and the community and for political leadership to adopt and advocate for the centre.

She also mentioned it should also be widely known that the centre is at the Heidelberg Hospital.

“Integrated to this day, we want to celebrate children as we are doing child protection,” Thithi said.

“This is to remind ourselves as stakeholders that our children are our responsibility, and we must take care of them. My child is your child, and your child is my child, and the child is the child of the community.

“Do not look away when you see a neighbour’s child not attending school at the age of seven and claim that it is not your child – such things must be reported to relevant authorities.

“A child must remain a child, not a household head.”