New Vanderbijlpark clinic uses digital system to tackle pharmacy queues

Patients in Vanderbijlpark could spend less time waiting for medication following the opening of the Johan Heyns Gateway Clinic, which features a digital system that allows clinicians to send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy.

The newly built facility was officially handed over to the Sedibeng District Health Services and the Vanderbijlpark community on Tuesday by Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Faith Mazibuko and Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor Hassan Mako.

The clinic's digital patient flow system is designed to improve efficiency by allowing prescriptions to be generated electronically and sent directly to the pharmacy, helping to reduce queues and waiting times.

The facility also has 13 consulting rooms, an emergency room, a triage and vital signs area, a physiotherapy room and a dispensary, among 35 purpose-built spaces and systems.

The opening comes as the former Johan Heyns Community Health Centre undergoes redevelopment into a district hospital. The new gateway clinic will provide primary healthcare services while construction of the hospital continues.

Mazibuko said the clinic would ensure residents continued to access essential healthcare services during the redevelopment project.

“As we open this new clinic, we are confident that the community of Vanderbijlpark will have access to essential primary healthcare services while the reconstruction and redevelopment of the old Johan Heyns facility into a District Hospital continues,” she said.

She added that the facility reflected the provincial government's commitment to accessible healthcare and a more dignified patient experience.

The clinic will offer services including chronic disease management, HIV, sexually transmitted infection and tuberculosis care, antenatal services, family planning, maternal and child healthcare, mental health support, rehabilitation, social work and men's health services.

Adolescent and youth-friendly services, dietetics, health promotion and community outreach programmes will also be available.

Operating hours are Monday to Friday, from 07:00 to 16:00.

The facility also houses a Gauteng Emergency Medical Services base, which is expected to strengthen emergency medical response in Vanderbijlpark and surrounding communities.

Mazibuko called on residents to protect the clinic against vandalism and crime, saying the facility was a community asset that should serve both current and future generations.

Once completed, the district hospital is expected to expand healthcare access in the region by providing a broader range of medical interventions closer to residents' homes.