Witkoppen Health and Welfare Clinic (Witkoppen Clinic) is a comprehensive primary healthcare facility with social welfare services that are provided to indigent patients. The clinic is located in the heart of the rapidly growing central business district of Fourways, an area north of Johannesburg in which rapid commercial, office, and residence growth has taken place in the last ten years.

The clinic’s medical services include HIV, TB, anti-natal, and psychiatric therapy. Family planning and dental facilities are also offered. Moreover, an office of the social welfare department is located on the same site and serves the clinic’s patients.

The clinic is a non-profit organisation and is funded by over a dozen large donors and by a small government subsidy. Right to Care is the primary funder of Witkoppen Clinic’s HIV clinic. Funds sourced from Right to Care are used for the HIV clinic’s staff salaries and, to a limited extent, for sundry other needs. Witkoppen Clinic staff compliment is 70, consisting of 11 doctors (some of whom are part-time), 17 nurses, and 42 support staff. The clinic operates during office hours, Monday to Friday.

Typically, 300 to 400 patients are seen in a day. In 2007, Witkoppen clinic had 79 000 patient visits. Of these, 30 700 were seen by the dedicated HIV & AIDS clinic. To date, 1600 patients have been initiated onto antiretroviral therapy. ARVs, provided by the National Department of Health, are stocked onsite. Voluntary counselling and testing is provided by eight trained AIDS lay counsellors.

Witkoppen Clinic has a long history (it was founded by two doctors in 1946). In 2006, the clinic become the first CCMT-accredited site in Region A (one of eight regions into which the Johannesburg municipal area has been divided and which has a population of 300 000). The clinic’s target area includes a number of informal settlements, including Diepsloot, Zevenfontein, and Lion Park.

The current Executive Director is Dr Jean Bassett. She has been involved with HIV & AIDS for the last 10 years. She joined the organisation in 1995 and become Executive Director in 2004.