Unjani Clinic was opened at the Diepsloot Mall in October 2015. The clinic exceeded expectations in terms of patient visits within the first two months of operation.
“The response from the Diepsloot community has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Smital Rambhai, product manager of the Community Property Fund. “In the second month, the clinic saw 578 patients, which was a new record for Unjani. New clinics usually take 12-18 months to reach this number. That just proves what a powerful partnership this is.”
Shopping malls owned by Futuregrowth’s Community Property Fund have partnered with Unjani Clinic to make healthcare more accessible for people living in underserviced communities throughout South Africa.
Unjani Clinic, funded by Imperial Health Sciences, is a network of black women owned and operated primary healthcare clinics that provides accessible, affordable healthcare to communities in low income areas.
Shopping malls owned by the Futuregrowth Community Property Fund, and managed by Capital Land Property Management, will provide valuable space for these clinics at the malls, free of charge.
A key objective of the Fund is to create a high social impact in the communities where the shopping malls are located,” said Smital Rambhai, product manager of the Community Property Fund.
“Our partnership with Unjani Clinic is a perfect example of this, as it will provide communities with an alternative to the overburdened and often inaccessible public healthcare system.”
“Shopping centres are an integral part of the communities in which they operate and we are proud to be associated with the Unjani Clinic project. We believe the partnership will complement our strategy to build positive community relations and make a difference to people’s lives,” says Anton Raubenheimer, financial director of Capital Land Property Management.
The Unjani Clinic concept is simple: Patients pay R150 for a consultation with a qualified nurse and receive medications to treat a range of common conditions, including diabetes, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, and cholesterol. The clinics also provide services in family planning, HIV testing and counselling, wellness screening, antenatal care and postnatal care.
The clinics are owned and managed by qualified nurses from the local community, thus providing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women.
“The clinics need to be located in safe, accessible areas and our malls are perfect because they are located close to transport nodes,” said Rambhai. “Given the high foot traffic in these centres, awareness of the clinics will soon spread throughout communities.
“Retailers at our shopping centres will benefit too as the clinics will draw more shoppers to the centres, and possibly to parts of the centre that don’t have as high foot traffic.”
The next clinic will open in March 2016 at Moutse Mall in Dennilton, Limpopo.
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