Residents of Town Two in Khayelitsha now have a new space where they can access healthcare.
The Food Town Health and Wellness Clinic was opened last week. The clinic, which will provide a free services to the Khayelitsha community, will initially operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 9am and 4pm, but the intention is to eventually be open from Mondays to Fridays.
The services include HIV counselling, testing and referrals; counselling and interventions for gender-based violence; as well as screenings for chronic illness, TB and STIs. On Wednesday February 20, Emthonjeni Counselling and Training in partnership with Adcock Ingram launched the wellness facility project in Town Two.
Emthonjeni is a community-based organisation based in Khayelitsha that engages communities on HIV prevention research, especially for groups that are vulnerable to HIV, and provides referrals for treatment of HIV, screenings of chronic illnesses and gender-based violence interventions.
The organisation, which is led by women, also works nationally, and specialises in the empowerment of women.
They also partner with men’s organisations for critical matters to address issues such as gender-based violence.
The clinic is situated next to the soup kitchen at Food Town Hyper Khayelitsha.
Speaking to Vukani about the facility, Emthonjeni founder, Nomfundo Eland, said it is an important wellness initiative for many gender-based violence victims.
She said the goal to establish such a facility was that many people do not want to go to public clinics.
She said the facility was a platform for many, especially rape victims.
“This is a platform to equip each other as women, to counsel each other. This is a space to offload the burden of diseases and their baggage. It is a space to access health,” she said.
Ward 93 councillor Thando Pimpi said he was excited to have a facility of this nature in his ward. He said the facility will also make sure that seniors are taken care of. “It is best thing for us. The whole community is very excited. Me too. There is also a soup kitchen in it that will help those who have nothing to eat,” he said.
Mr Pimpi urged residents to use the facility to their advantage.