First and foremost, we sincerely want to thank the Ward 1 Councillor here at Kwa-Ximba, Mr Mkhize for his foresight in going all out and approached Assmang, a local mining company, to build this Health Post as part of their Corporate Social Investment.

Secondly, we also wish to pass our gratitude to the progressive management of Assmang for positively agreeing to donate this health facility that will go a long way in improving the health status of the community here.

As a Province, we highly appreciate what we are receiving today which is a health facility that is disabled friendly with 5 consulting rooms; waiting room; an outside shelter; ablution facilities; water backup system (Jojo tank) and fully electrified with its perimeter fence equipped with floodlighting.

We have also noticed that the facility is fully fenced with a guard house, paved parking and has disabled friendly access ramps.

Inside the Health Post, it is very cosy as the consulting rooms have examination couches; the waiting room can accommodate 25 chairs; there is also a disabled friendly flushable toilet as well as a room with wall mounted shelves either for filing or storage.

Indeed, today, we will rest knowing that communities from 4 underserved traditional authorities in this ward will not have to travel long distances to access healthcare. So, on behalf of residence of Nonoti; Bhobhonono; Mvini and certain parts of Mkhizwana – we all say thank.

We wish to make it known to the management of Assmang that all along our Umsunduzi Clinic has been overburdened servicing 11 areas which are Othweba; Nconcosi; Berea; Ntukuso; Esiweni; Mhali; Umsunduzi; Nonoti; Bhobhonono; Mvini and Denge.

We also wish our communities to know that this Health Post will not be providing all health services but its Package of Services will be limited to:

• Phila Mntwana Site (immunisation, weighing, nutritional assessment)
• TB and HIV Screening and Testing
• Centralised Chronic Medication Dispensing and Distribution
• Medical Male Circumcision
• Female and Male Condoms provision
• Cervical Cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer screening
• Family Planning
• Youth Friendly services
• Post-Natal Care

Through its opening, this health post is bound to drastically reduce the workload being experienced by Umsunduzi Clinic currently. Umsunduzi will continue offering services 12 hour a day and 7 days a week in the form of:

• Treatment of minor ailments
• Child health services
• Antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal services
• Chronic disease management
• Mental health services
• HIV and TB Management services
• Ward based outreach teams and school health teams

As we jerk up health services here, we humbly request the leadership at KwaXimba to assist in propelling the communities to make use of the health facilities now available. Our statistics show that there are certain areas where people in this area still fall far short, for, instance:

• Medical Male Circumcision targets for last year were 1646 and only 153 people offered themselves – this year, we have only circumcised 59, so far; and,
• Percentage of pregnant mothers who visited health facilities for Ante-Natal Care within 20 weeks of their pregnancy only stood at 54.4% last year;

In the same vein, we would like to express our appreciation to those women who have come forward for Cervical Cancer Screening – last year; we had an impressive 97.3% attendance.

In all this, we also wish to thank our hard working healthcare professionals including the 36 Community Care Givers and their 2 supervisors deployed here for ensuring that our live healthy and longer.

Lastly, we appeal the residents to support our initiatives as we go about doing household profiling; TB screening; weighing of children and giving Health education.

As we end, we again hold the name of Cllr Mkhize in high esteem for the love and care he has for the community. We also profusely that Assmang for positively acceding to the request of the community and not only limiting themselves to the structure but also providing for the success of this day in the form of procuring the marquee; Chairs; Chair covers; Mobile ablution facilities as well as the Sound System.

We also thank the support given by the Municipality in form of a Water Tank; Flowers and Pot plants; 6 Buses and Loud hailing system that has ensured this good community attendance.

Let us strive to live longer