State-of-the-art Thengwe Clinic officially opened

A new state-of-the-art clinic was officially opened in Thengwe Thondoni, in the Mutale area, on Monday, 15 April. The new clinic replaces the old clinic, which was built by missionaries in the 1940s but was no longer conducive to being used. The new clinic will deliver medical services to 12 of the adjacent villages, such as Bashasha, Makhwilidza, and Maheni. These villages fall under Thovhele Vudzidzhena Nethengwe. The clinic will be open 24 hours per day, which means that patients will no longer have to travel long distances to access health-care services.

During the opening ceremony, Thovhele Nethengwe talked about the history of the clinic. He applauded the vision of his late father, Thovhele Vho Mmbulungeni Nethengwe, who had allowed the Berlin Missionary Society to establish a clinic in their area. The clinic also employed the first local nurse, the late Vho Christinah Ravhuanzwo, in April 1943.

“As traditional leaders, we are the custodians of the communities, hence we are happy when real development is happening right in our rural villages, such as the newly built, state-of-the-art Thengwe clinic. We want Thengwe village to be the centre of development in Mutale area, and we urge the Department of Education to build state-of-the-art schools, equipped with laboratories and computer centres,” said Thovhele Nethengwe.

The chairperson of the Thengwe Clinic Committee, Pastor Nkhangweleni Nenzhelele, said they were proud of the new clinic built in their village. He emphasised that the community must take proper care of such facilities.

The MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, said that rural clinics such as the one at Thengwe would help maintain the dignity of people. She said that a woman who needed to give birth in Thengwe Clinic should get the same services as a woman giving birth in a modern facility in a bigger town or city.

“We urge nurses and doctors who will be working here in Thengwe Clinic to treat patients with respect, and I don’t want patients returning home with nurses saying there is no medication,” she added.

News - Date: 27 April 2024

Silas Nduvheni

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