Daggafontein’s Unjani Clinic benefits from Pfizer’s R11m injection
Kevin Francis, Pfizer’s cluster lead: SSA and country manager: South Africa, said he felt immensely proud and honoured to celebrate the opening of the clinic in Daggafontein.
As Women’s Month came to an end, Daggafontein welcomed its first women-owned Unjani Clinic on Tuesday.
Unjani Clinic is the first of nine new clinics that NPOs will establish as a result of an additional R11m donation from Pfizer, pledged earlier this year.
The opening of the primary healthcare facility meant Daggafontein residents would no longer have to walk 5km to access the nearest government clinic.
The Daggafontein site was identified by Sister Nomvula Happiness Tsimong, who uncovered a pressing need for easier access to primary healthcare in her community.
Tsimong, who has practised at various government facilities since 2005, took on the role of nurse-preneur and was excited to grow her business and serve the Daggafontein community.
“The people of Daggafontein are in good hands,” Tsimong said.
She will initially employ a clinic assistant and take on a learner to grow her team as the clinic takes off.
The services will include childhood immunisation, family planning and maternity support, wound care, laboratory blood services, HIV testing and counselling, and management of patients on antiretroviral therapy.
Kevin Francis, Pfizer’s cluster lead SSA and country manager South Africa, said the investment was central to the company’s efforts to support systemic transformation in SA’s healthcare system.
“Pfizer is committed to continuing its partnership with Unjani by empowering women healthcare providers and delivering breakthroughs that change patients’ lives,” said Francis.
Pfizer has supported the Unjani Clinic Network since 2016. So far, the company has helped fund 10 sonar machines and established eight clinics in rural and urban communities in other provinces.
To date, Unjani Clinics has set up 154 clinics nationwide and intends to establish more than 600 clinics by December 2030. Each clinic is run by a professional nurse as a small business.
