THE Mpukunyoni Community in the uMkhanyakude District will soon have access to an all-encompassing, state-of-the-art wellness centre on its doorstep.
The idea behind the multi-purpose Bayethe Trust Wellness Centre is to augment the services currently offered by Hlabisa Hospital, in collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH), and not to replace service delivery in the area.
With men’s health the centre’s ultimate raison d’etre, the wellness centre aims to provide services including high volume medical male circumcision (MMC), hosting ‘Brothers for Life’ health awareness campaigns, which deal with such issues as condom distribution and talks on gender-based violence (GBV), as well as hosting ‘ZAZI’ programmes where female health is the focus.
As services get underway, the centre will conduct training to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the district. With men’s health in the area undisputedly underrated, however, a specifically men’s health clinic is the ultimate goal for the Bayethe Trust Wellness Centre.
Health Ambassador of the Bayethe Trust, Queen Thandi, was present at the sod-turning ceremony last Friday. After expressing gratitude towards the South African Zionist Foundation and the Dischem Foundation, main sponsors of the project, Queen Thandi said, “We look forward to our people living longer, healthier lives
‘We need an educated and healthy population to take our people forward”.
She thanked the Mpukunyoni Traditional Council for its donation of a disused council building which is to be renovated for this project.
Sister Mtshali of Hlabisa Hospital was delighted at the prospect of the Bayethe Trust Wellness Centre, and said the new facilities should help the hospital reach its annual target of 20 000 MMC procedures in the district.
The South African Zionist Federation set the project in motion, raising substantial funding from the Dischem Foundation.
Durban-based NGO, Project Build, whose focus is to build community buildings throughout KwaZulu-Natal, is the project implementer of the wellness centre.
Once complete, the newly renovated hall, fitted with all essential medical equipment and furniture, should be ready to start functioning as a wellness centre by mid-July. A flagship pilot project for both Bayethe Trust and the SA Zionist Federation, the long-term plans, based on the Bayethe Trust Wellness Centre’s success, are to replicate the centre in other districts.
