Westbury gets brand new R25 million model clinic
01-04-2015
The Westbury community, west of Johannesburg, is to get a new, multimillion rand state-of-the-art clinic.
The development of the R25 million healthcare centre, announced by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau at a sod-turning ceremony on Tuesday, is on the Perth-Empire Corridor, which forms part of the City’s Corridors of Freedom.
Speaking to residents at the ceremony, Mayor Tau said: “Over the course of the next few months you will witness the development of a clinic that is significantly different to the one we have demolished.
“This comprehensive redevelopment will be one of the City’s model clinics, with several features, including 80 consultation rooms, dedicated services such as ante- and pre-natal care, testing and counselling services and health screening.”
The Mayor said Westbury was a critical development node in the city due to it being part of one of the Corridors of Freedom, the bold plan for spatial redesign of transport arteries complemented by mixed-use developments with high-density accommodation and opportunities for education, leisure and recreation.
“These Corridors of Freedom will bring people and opportunities closer to one another, overcoming the legacy of mono-functional townships that are overcrowded and under-serviced. By reversing the historical status quo, where people were segregated by design, we will begin to create better communities,” said Mayor Tau.
Community-based enterprises would also be involved in the construction of the clinic.
“During the next financial year, we have allocated R3 billion to community-based contracts through the Jozi@Work programme. These contracts will essentially create a partnership between the City and the community that will build and enable our people to use their skills, potential and capacities, and for entrepreneurs to grow their enterprises so they can move from being only recipients of local services to major producers,” the Mayor said.
He stressed the importance of providing healthcare access and information to reduce “burdening diseases such as hypertension and diabetes”.
He said the City would soon roll out projects aimed at creating awareness on the dangers of lifestyle diseases.
“By moving beyond the task of building clinics and providing healthcare services through promoting better lifestyle choices, we as a City will ultimately deliver a higher life expectancy and improved quality of life, which is in line with our 2040 Growth and Development Strategy,” Mayor Tau said.
Margaret Barkley, chairperson of the Westbury Residents’ Committee and long-time resident of the area, said the new clinic would change the lives of the whole community.
“Our clinic was terribly overcrowded but this new clinic is going to be worth the wait. It’s going to change all our lives and will be used for many generations to come,” she said.
The new clinic is expected to open its doors early next year.