THE future of the Glenumore Senior Citizens Care Centre hangs in the balance after the provincial health department turned down a request for a replacement doctor to see to elderly patients at the centre for three hours a week.
The clinic, which was estahblished in 1985 by the medical superintendent at Addington Hospital, Margaret Barlow as an outreach, is run by the Glenwood Presbyterian Church. The idea behind the establishment of the centre was for patients not to have to travel to the hospital to wait for their medication which would instead by collected by the church and dispensed by volunteers at the clinic.
According to Paddy Thornton, chairman since 1999, the province allocated a retired district surgeon who would write out six month scripts and see patients. Scripts are sent to Esplamed Pharmacy from where the medication is dispensed.
At the clinic, services such as foot care, blood pressure, blood sugar and urine tests as well as assessment of new patients are provided at a fee of R20 a year.
The clinic is a registered NPO and is audited and provides the government with an annual report.
Fifteen volunteers help out on a Monday, when around 100 patients attend the clinic.
“Our doctor, Dr Hofmeyer, who was 92, got ill and couldn’t come to work. Since then we have had no one to write the scripts. As soon as we started asking the Health Department for another doctor, we were told we would be closed down and would not get medication or another doctor,” said Thornton.
She said the 480 patients they see at the clinic would have to find an alternative clinic or hospital to go to. “Our patients will have to go to Overport Clinic, Cato Manor or McCord’s, but these places are already busy and will need to be able to handle extra patients. We are fully sufficient, we pay to hire the church hall, we pay an auditor, we buy our own equipment, we cost the government nothing. All we want is a doctor for three hours on a Monday morning,” said Paddy.
“We were told that our patients were all mobile and had relatives here, so the focus would be on mobile clinics in rural areas. Our patients are all on old age or disability pensions and are in their 70s or older, and have relatives living overseas. This is such an important service and we owe it to the community,” said Paddy.
Irene van Middelkoop said she had spoken to the Health Department about their patients visiting another clinic, such as at McCord’s once every six months, and then attending the Glenumore Clinic the other five months to collect meds.
“This is plan B. Obviously plan A would be to continue like we are now. The Department has told me they are awaiting feedback from a meeting regarding this. Our clinic saves patients so much time. Not all of them are mobile and this is a community outreach and fellowship,” said Irene.
“This is red alert, it is urgent as patients are running out of their meds,” said Thornton.
