Cape Town - The provincial health department’s new head says a community-based team from its District Six Community Day Centre has been deployed to assess the health needs of the refugees at the Central Methodist Mission in the city centre.
Dr Keith Cloete, who will officially take over from Dr Beth Engelbrecht, who retires on April 1, said: “We would like to normalise the care for vulnerable people in situations like that, as we would do for any other citizen.”
Cloete said the refugees could make use of health facilities run by the department, but the department would not establish a health service at the church.
Cloete was speaking at a function where Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo introduced him to the media yesterday.
Currently Cloete is deputy director-general, chief of operations, at the department.
Previously he was the chief director for metro district health services, and prior to that, director: HIV/Aids/STI (sexually transmitted infections) and tuberculosis.
Dr Keith Cloete
Outlining his areas of focus over the next five years, Cloete said they included “investing in the development of the capabilities of all staff members to provide leadership, and being able to cope with the ever-
increasing complexities we face in the health-care system”.
The City of Cape Town also said that they understand and shares the growing concern and frustration around the refugee occupation of the Methodist Church and surrounds in the Central Business District of the city.
The City said that it must be noted that "we are doing everything possible to resolve what is a complex legal issue".
"We are engaging with various stakeholders on a daily basis in order to find a solution to the matter."