Seven clinics that fall within the jurisdiction of the City of Cape Town have been granted platinum status in terms of the National Ideal Clinic Framework, which aims to improve the quality of primary healthcare at public sector clinics.
These public clinics were the first City healthcare facilities to achieve platinum status, and a celebration was hosted by the City’s Healthcare Department on Friday.
The clinics that achieved platinum status include the Kuilsriver, Wesbank, Eerste River, Kuyasa, Adriaanse, Valhalla Park and Kasselsvlei clinics.
“Sixty two city health facilities have so far achieved Ideal Clinic status. This is a wonderful achievement indeed and one worthy of celebration. The staff at the seven clinics that achieved platinum status have worked as a team to overcome a number of challenges. They set the benchmark for others to aspire to,” said the Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien, said to IOL.
An Ideal Clinic is a facility with good infrastructure, adequate staff, adequate resources, medicine and supplies, with good administrative processes and sufficient bulk supplies. It also achieves quality healthcare services by making use of applicable clinical policies, guidelines and protocols to ensure quality health services.
A clinic must meet 90% of the vital elements that affect its delivery of quality healthcare to patients to achieve platinum status. These include the availability of specific medicines, temperature control and cold chain procedures for medicine rooms.
“The City of Cape Town is committed to improve primary healthcare services to our clients. We are making gains, slowly but surely. During the next national audit, the aim is for more clinics to qualify. The Ideal Clinic process helps us improve services, for the benefit of our residents,” Badroodien said.
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