New Glory Hill Clinic to benefit the community
The newly built clinic started rendering its services to the people in December. Before, clinical services had been delivered in one of the old community halls in the area since 1992.
The people of this town and surrounding areas received a state-of-the-art clinic worth more than R3 million built for them courtesy of the South African Forestry Company Ltd (Safcol).
Glory Hill Clinic was officially handed over to the Department of Health on
March 26.
A senior nurse who has been working at the clinic since 2008, Sr Kate Boyd, said, “We are so ecstatic about this new facility. We never thought we would have such a well-built clinic for Graskop,” she said.
People of other villages, including Hlabekisa, Matibidi, Pilgrim’s Rest, and Bushbuckridge and other areas, now come to this clinic for consultations.
READ: IN PICTURES: Glory Hill Clinic opening
The number of patients visiting the clinic rose from 700 to almost 1 500.
It has ample storage areas, a decent pharmacy, offices, waiting area, consulting room and infant area. “Previously there was no privacy. The patients are even more comfortable to go for HIV testing, because there is a counselling room. We are just over the moon,” said Boyd.
Safcol’s CEO, Tsepo Monaheng, said the company was overjoyed to have played a positive role to add value for the people of Graskop.
“We believe that if we can impact the lives of the community positively in terms of economy, education and health, we will have done much for this country, hence our partnership with the department in this project. We cannot achieve economic excellence unless we have educated, healthy people.
“We are very happy to see this project finalised in time and within the allocated budget, because we are a project-driven company. When we have started an initiative it must end, and if not, it means we have failed,” Monaheng said.
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He begged the people of the area to protect the clinic and the local forests so that the next generation can also benefit from them.
The mayor of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, Friddah Nkadimeng, urged the community to safeguard the property. “Glory Hill Clinic is a backbone of hope to this community, in that we now have access to primary healthcare on our doorstep.
My earnest appeal to the community of Graskop and Thaba Chweu in general is to protect this clinic and any other public and private facilities and spaces.
“When you want to vent your anger against the municipality, please do not express it by destroying and vandalising your own facilities. Let us instead adopt a culture of peaceful and rational engagements to find common solutions in challenges we face with our municipalities,” she said.
The clinic was officially opened by the MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini. She said the involvement of Safcol in donating this clinic was a clear sign of the commitment of the private sector to work with government in improving the lives of South Africans.
