Health committee inspects Lusaka Clinic

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29-04-2025
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The Citizen Online
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The inspection of the clinic serves as an opportunity for the committee to assess the current state of the facility, evaluate the progress made and identify outstanding work.

On April 15, the Section 79 Health Committee, under the leadership of Chairperson Peggy de Bruin, conducted a successful inspection in loco of the new Lusaka Clinic.

The new Lusaka Clinic project, worth R49-million, experienced significant delays during its planning phase. Primarily due to intermittent budget allocations disrupting planning and construction, as well as the poor performance by the initial service provider, which led to the termination of their contract.

De Bruin said the inspection served as an opportunity for the committee to assess the current state of the facility, evaluate the progress made and identify outstanding work.

She said this would assist with determining timelines and the way forward regarding the completion of the project.

The Group Head for Health in Tshwane confirmed that the project is 93% complete.

Critical unfinished work includes the installation of ceilings, tiling and other minor finishing works.

“The Health Department further provided a progress report detailing procurement processes undertaken so far,” said De Bruin.

She said, despite the completion rate, substantial work remains to ensure that the facility is fully functional.

The committee noted the need for accelerated efforts in appointing a new contractor for the project to progress.

The Health Department must develop a clear timeline for finalising outstanding work.

The committee will monitor progress closely to ensure timely completion and handover.

Once operational, the clinic will deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services to Mamelodi Ext 22 and surrounding communities.

Residents in the far east of Mamelodi claimed the completion of the clinic would make their lives easier. They would no longer have to walk long distances and stand in long queues to access essential healthcare services at the nearest available clinics.

A resident, Jack Sithole from RDP in the far east of Mamelodi, claimed he has no choice but to wake up as early as 03:00 to prepare to go to the Stanza Bopape clinic.

Sithole said, “We were all excited when they announced the project worth millions of rand, of building a new clinic for Far East residents”.

“The clinic was meant to reduce the burden of waking up in the early hours and reducing workloads at other neighbouring clinics,” said Sithole.

He claimed the project had been abandoned and there were no security guards or metro police to guard the place.

“We don’t know when the new contractor will be appointed or finish the project. The clinic’s unfinished construction will soon experience vandalism.

The clinic was supposed to serve the committee in areas like Lusaka and RDP in terms of healthcare, and if abandoned like this, it will cost Tshwane millions of rands to rebuild,” said Sithole.

He said Tshwane clinics’ operating times are from 07:00 to 16:00.

To access healthcare, one must arrive at the clinic around 05:00 to be first in line.

“Sometimes, because of overcrowding, the nurses would cut off the queue, and patients were told to go back home and come back tomorrow morning.

The project of building the Lusaka clinic started in 2019, and the deadlines for completion have been changing forever. Today, the project has stopped,” he said.