BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
EZULWINI – Ezulwini Chief Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo has described the newly constructed Hee Yeon Memorial (HYM) Clinic, valued at approximately E50 million, as a valuable gift to His Majesty King Mswati III and the people of Eswatini.
Chief Mashampu was speaking during the official opening of the clinic at Nyonyane, Ezulwini, on Thursday, where he said the facility represented far more than a financial investment.
He said the clinic was an investment in the health and human dignity of the people, adding that its impact would be measured by the lives it would transform.
“Your Majesty, the clinic valued at approximately E50 million is a valuable gift to Your Majesty as it is more than just a financial investment but an investment in health and human dignity of your people,” Chief Mashampu said.
He said the facility had been equipped with services that would improve access to quality healthcare for the people of Ezulwini and beyond.
“Within these walls are facilities that will transform the lives of your people every single day,” he said.
Chief Mashampu highlighted that the clinic provided comprehensive primary healthcare services and had already begun serving patients from Ezulwini and other parts of the country.
He said the facility offered dental and dermatology services, as well as specialised services including endoscopy, neurology, radiology and obstetrics.
The chief further noted that the clinic would also benefit from regular visits by international volunteer medical specialists.
According to Chief Mashampu, the true value of the facility could not be measured in emalangeni, but in the lives saved and patients whose illnesses were diagnosed early.
“The true value of this clinic cannot be measured in Emalangeni. It will be measured in lives saved, it will be measured in every patient whose illness is diagnosed early, in every family whose burden is lifted, in every life restored through compassionate care,” he said.
The chief said the clinic was a product of friendship, compassion and a shared commitment to serving humanity.
He traced the origins of the project to his meeting with Pastor Mandla Simelane, Daniel Kim and his wife Hannah from South Korea a few years ago.
Chief Mashampu said Daniel had shared the story of his sister, who died after being involved in a tragic motor vehicle accident and was declared brain dead.
He said, despite the family’s grief, Daniel’s mother made the decision to donate her deceased daughter’s organs so that other people could live.
Chief Mashampu said the family later made another significant decision by using the deceased daughter’s estate to create a lasting legacy that would benefit people, particularly in Africa.
“Those words touched my heart very deeply. I saw a family that understood that the greatest inheritance is not what we keep but what we give,” he said.
He said he subsequently invited the Kim family to Ezulwini, resulting in the development of the clinic.
“What was born out of tragedy has become a legacy of hope and a life-saving institution,” Chief Mashampu said.
The chief expressed his gratitude to King Mswati III for his leadership and for prioritising healthcare.
He also thanked the King for granting the Kim family Eswatini citizenship, saying this was a further demonstration of the close bond that had developed between the family and the Kingdom.
Chief Mashampu also extended his appreciation to the Kim family and all the sponsors who contributed towards the construction of the facility.
“Today Ezulwini says thank you. Eswatini says thank you,” he said.
He said the clinic demonstrated that meaningful development could be achieved when communities, government, traditional leadership and international partners worked together.
Chief Mashampu said the facility would ensure that the legacy of the Kim family’s loss continued to benefit generations to come.
“To the Kim family, you have taught us that pain does not have to be the end of the story, that loss can become purpose, that grief can become generosity, that one’s darkest day may become another’s brightest tomorrow,” he said.
#HYMClinic #E50MillionClinic #ChiefMashampu #KingMswatiIII #Ezulwini #Healthcare #Nyonyane #Eswatini
