Construction of East London’s R12 million neuro clinic, situated diagonally opposite to St Marks psychiatric clinic, gets underway during April and will boost the city’s medical facilities.

The Ikhwezi Neuro Clinic is to be initially owned 100 per cent by Ikhwezi Investment Holdings (IIH), a majority black-owned company after which it is intended that professional practitioners and local companies will be invited to buy equity.

IIH includes a number of high profile stakeholders such as former Transnet corporate affairs GM Kallie Mabentsela, current head of government liaison at Transnet Tami Didiza, business consultant Tandi Godongwana, Eastern Cape doctor Sipho Mlambo, Autopipe MD Willie Goldberg and former Eastern Cape Development Agency chief Pieter Bosch.

The clinic, financed by the Industrial Development Corporation, will consist of a 60-bed facility with doctors’ rooms.

The clinic aims to provide acute psychiatric in-patient and day-patient care for private, medical aid and day patients. Facilities will include group counselling, recreational TV and play rooms.

Treatments for acute adult psychiatry, mood disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, excessive alcohol, drug abuse, insomnia as well as elderly psychiatric assessment and care will be offered.

The clinic has signed a cooperative agreement with a Cape Town clinic to provide training to soon-to-be recruited staff.