Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille
Mayor De Lille satisfied with service provision at Khayelitsha Site C
Youth Clinic
The City of Cape Town’s Site C Youth Clinic in Khayelitsha is a unique clinic
that caters specifically to young people in a way that is sensitive to their
needs and the health and related challenges that they face.
The clinic is also a good example of effective partnerships and collaboration,
in that the enhanced health services at the clinic are provided in partnership
with Doctors Without Borders. This organisation works with City Health staff in
providing innovative treatment and counselling services to approximately 1
800 young people per month.
The Youth Clinic is one of 100 City-operated clinics across the metro. The City
currently spends R850 million on the provision of primary health care – of
which R122,3 million was allocated to clinics in Khayelitsha alone. Of this
allocation, approximately R4,5 million is spent annually to fund the services
provided at the Site C Youth Clinic.
The Site C Youth Clinic is regarded as a best practice model by other national
entities, in that through the use of HIV support clubs and other innovations,
young people can obtain contraceptive advise, seek treatment and
counselling for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV, and obtain testing
and treatment for other health-related matters.
This is in an environment in which they feel safe and free of any of the social
stigma sometimes associated with seeking treatment for sexually transmitted
and related diseases.
Due to this caring and supportive environment at the clinic, young people
both in the immediate community and surrounding areas are now more
willing to access these important health services.
In order to provide youth-focused health services, the clinic management
worked with Doctors Without Borders to develop unique measures to cater for
young people and their needs. This includes the following:
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As this clinic only caters to young people under the age of 25, there
are shorter queues. This in turn helps to ensure that visits are shorter, so
that learners would not have to stay out of school or away from
homework for extended periods.
Training of staff to ensure that they are better equipped to deal with
younger people and to encourage the youth to access the necessary
service and continue treatment.
In terms of treatment and testing for HIV, counsellors are available at
the clinic and during group sessions.
One of the more unique features is a social messaging service for
young people to talk to counsellors about health-related issues on
forums such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Mxit.
The Youth Clinic has a unique HIV support club for counselling, which
includes a range of people at various levels of treatment.
Creation of support groups for ARV treatment, with mentoring on their
effective treatment for new recipients from patients who have been on
ARVs for an extended period. This has proved to be effective, as
patients maintain their medication regime for the required periods.
The establishment of HIV support clubs aimed at further strengthening
adherence to medication regimes. At these clubs various topics are
discussed, such as some of the difficulties people experience and how
to overcome them. They discuss issues related to stigmas, how to cope
with stress, and dealing with many of the misconceptions about
treatment.
Once patients attend a support club session, they visit the nurse who
conducts all of the vital checks and gives them their pre-packed
medication.
Another unique initiative at the clinic is a weekly radio programme
where club members host interactive shows to conduct debates or
educate young people on health-related topics.
The clinic also has what is known as a ‘chill room’. This room is used as a
quiet space where pupils can do their homework. Staff also assist them
with drafting CVs and sending out job applications.
Some of the sexual and reproductive health services available at the
clinic include: contraception services; provision of basic antenatal
care; screening for cervical cancer (Pap smears); screening, diagnosis
and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; distribution of male
and female condoms; HIV counselling and testing; anti-retroviral
enrolment; and follow-up and treatment adherence support services.
The City, with its partners, is therefore providing an important health service to
the youth in Khayelitsha. By making full use of these facilities and taking
responsibility for their health choices, we will continue to make progress
possible, together.