Health care for the communities around the Thohoyandou area who use the Thohoyandou Community Health Centre in Thohoyandou Block G stands to improve tremendously.

This follows a recent donation of more than R250 000 of emergency equipment to the centre. Two health care companies, MMI Holdings and the South African Healthcare Foundation, joined hands and handed over the equipment last week.

The consignment was presented to the acting executive manager of the Vhembe District health department, Mr Ndwamato Sirwali, by MMI Holdings’ Emmanuel Mahlangu and the managing director of the South African Helathcare Foundation, Ms Rachel Dlamini.

Sirwali said the government was doing its best for all the citizens of the country to have access to health care, but with constrained budgets they could not meet all the citizens' needs. “Our district has 123 clinics, eight hospitals and eight health centres whose equipment is aging and needs to be replaced. With such new equipment donated by these companies, we will dispense better service to our communities. With the ever-growing population, there is a need for additional equipment and these will come in handy,” he said.

Mahlangu said their company felt they should partner with the health department in Vhembe to provide better health care. “This is our way of giving back to the community. This is our way of developing the country and our contribution towards access to primary health care. This is a first in Thohoyandou, but we have done this in other provinces,” he said.

Dlamini said they would continue identifying areas where there was a need and making the necessary interventions if their resources allowed.