The City of Johannesburg’s drive to provide healthcare facilities within a 5km radius in its various communities in line with national government policy is gaining momentum, with the building of a new multimillion rand clinic – in River Park, Alexandra – set to get off the ground within weeks.

The R22.5 million state-of-the-art health facility will serve residents of River Park itself, Lombardy and surrounding informal settlements to ease the pressure on the East Bank Clinic and other primary healthcare facilities in the area.

The contract to build the clinic was awarded to Solidare Construction late last year.  The City, through the Urban Settlement Development Grant, will fund the project, which was officially handed over to Solidare Construction last month.

A number of small businesses and cooperatives registered under the Jozi@Work job creation and empowerment programme are expected to be roped in as sub-contractors or to perform certain duties.

The clinic is one of six healthcare centres being built or renovated to address the increasing demand for primary healthcare services in the area.

Nonceba Molwele, Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health, says the River Park Clinic and other healthcare facilities will bring much-needed relief to local communities.

Although the clinic will not have a maternity ward, it will, as a primary healthcare facility, provide antenatal and postnatal services. It will be run by 18 professional nurses and one doctor.

“Construction is envisaged to take 12 months to complete and the clinic will be opened to the public soon thereafter,” says MMC Molwele.

“There has been a massive human settlement development in the Tsutsumani and Lombardy areas. The provision of health facilities adds to the comprehensive and decent nature of human settlement development. The clinic will provide comprehensive primary healthcare services as promised by the government.”