A sod turning ceremony was held by the City of Cape Town on the site in Babbler Street and residents came out to hear what services will be available.
Mayco Member for Social Services, JP Smith, says this is the biggest project to ever be undertaken by City Health and it is also the first facility to be built from scratch since the construction of the Khayelitsha Environmental Health building.
The fancy new clinic will have various green elements such as intelligent lighting, reuse of water for irrigation, and low-maintenance finishes including face-brick and aluminium windows, PVC gutters and drainpipes, and a tiled roof.
It is anticipated that the project will be completed by the end of 2018.
Resident Angela van Niekerk, says she has been living with her two daughters and grandchildren in Pelican Park for four years now and they sukkel to pay taxi fare to go to clinics in Retreat and Lotus River.
“There is no facility here for us; only a satellite clinic for babies. If we big people are sick we must travel far and pay lots of money on the taxi. We are very happy about this new clinic.”
Sumaya Abdurouf, who suffers from chronic arthritis and bronchitis, says she has to travel all the way to Woodstock to get medication or see a doctor.
“The fares are expensive and sometimes people miss their appointments because they don’t have money. Now we can lekker just walk to the clinic,” she says.
The new clinic will provide primary health services including maternal and child health, reproductive health, basic antenatal care and services for people with TB and HIV.