DA, ANC on health walk at Alex Health Care Centre

The DA extended a rare gesture of health-related appreciation to the ANC recently.

This when the Health MEC, Bandile Masuku, was commended by Shadow Minister Jack Bloom for committing to deal with challenges experienced at Alex Health Care Centre.

In a statement, Bloom commended Masuku for a recent joint oversight visit to the centre saying it was constructive and will hopefully address its long standing problems.

“A former NPO-run clinic, the centre experienced severe problems in recent years from when it was taken over by the Gauteng Health Department in 2016. “We visited the casualty section where staff complained that there used to be a laboratory on-site to test blood but there are now delays as the blood samples are sent elsewhere for analysis,” the statement read.

It also attributed the problems to the X-ray department which seemingly does not operate after hours.

In the statement, Bloom expressed concern on shortage of doctors and allegations that some of them did not work their full hours. “We met four community service doctors who are not receiving proper supervision and training.

“Security is still a concern after a patient was stabbed to death May last year in the casualty unit.

“A young female doctor who was recently attacked on a Saturday afternoon has laid a charge against her assailant.”

According to Bloom, the Department of Infrastructure Development promised to do alterations on the building to enhance security but this has not yet happened. Also, he complained of long-running grievances by staff who claimed that they were owed money for long hours of overtime. “It is important that the centre functions and supports its large client population with services including casualty, pharmacy, radiography, maternity, ante-natal and post-natal care, dentistry, psychology, social work, dietetics, rehabilitation and chronic disease care, monitoring, treatment and follow-up programmes for TB, HIV, hypertension and diabetes.”

Bloom commended Masuku for promising to follow-up on the concerns raised by staff. “I will hold him to account on this,” the statement read.