Launch of the Ulysses Gogi Modise Wellness Clinic
01 December, 2007
The Premier of the Northern Cape, Dipuo Peters, will today open the Ulysses Gogi Modise Wellness Clinic at Kathu (Kumba Iron Ore's Sishen Mine) in the Northern Cape Province. This will be the first privately sponsored ARV clinic in the Northern Cape and will provide services to the entire community.
One of the main focuses of the clinic will be to provide HIV/Aids testing. Through this clinic the waiting period for results will be shortened as it will have its own laboratory on site. This venture is a partnership between Kumba Iron Ore (Kumba), Calibre, the Gamagara Municipality and the Provincial Department of Health.
Kumba sponsored the cost of establishing the clinic and will also carry all operational costs for the next three years bringing the total value of the sponsorship to R17 200 000. After the three years the company will work with the Department of Health to sponsor it.
The clinic will integrate and complement current local private and public services. The clinic will cooperate with national and provincial governments as well as local authorities to fight this disease.
"Our aim with the initiative is to make a significant contribution towards addressing the urgent need expressed by the communities we touch through our operations in the Northern Cape for easy access to HIV testing, counselling and treatment. It will also alleviate pressure on the current ARV infrastructure and services in the Kgalagadi area. This initiative will expand the current ARV clinic infrastructure for the province by 50%, create employment opportunities, and contribute to the development of ARV trained medical and support staff for the district and Northern Cape" said Ras Myburgh, CEO of Kumba Iron Ore.
The centre is named after Ulysses Gogi Julius Modise, former Head of the Northern Cape Province's National Intelligence Agency and Umkhonto We Sizwe veteran.