Angry protesters barricaded Eziweni Clinic with burning tyres on Tuesday, demanding that the Department of Health intervene before the facility falls apart. They demonstrated at the entrance to the clinic, keeping it from operating. Protesters alleged that the department was failing the community members by closing the clinic on Saturdays and Sundays.
They said the structure needs renovations and more staff members need to be employed. According to one of the leaders of the Pienaar Community Concerned Group, Leticia Mashego, they had submitted a memorandum of demands to the district management two weeks ago, and they have not received any feedback. “We gave them seven days to respond.
They called us after seven days to ask for two more days, which had lapsed on Friday January 28. We expected them to call us on Monday for a response, but they did not say anything. We need a proper renovation of the clinic, because there are leakages whenever it rains. Flushing toilets are blocked; people are now using pit toilets. Both females and males are using one toilet. Remember, this is a clinic which sees many people with different illnesses. “We want palisades surrounding the clinic. We want pavement so that people with disabilities can also be catered for. Lastly,
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Another community member, Nancy Banda, said, “Due to the shortage of nurses, the patients have to wake up very early in the morning to queue outside the gate. They do this in both winter and summer. They arrive early but go home late; because they wait for such a long time to get medical assistance.” Despite some of the community members closing the clinic, some said they were disappointed they could not get any assistance.
A community member, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “I was hoping to get medical assistance today, however, I could not because the clinic was closed. I need to come back again tomorrow and I am not feeling well.”The spokesperson for the department, Dumisani Malamule, said, “We are here to deliver a report in terms of the demands that were made by the community, however, in terms of our responses, it looks like they have not accepted them.
Since the community is rejecting it, we are going back to the office to consult. At the moment, what we are pushing for is that while the negotiations are taking place, the clinic must be open so that people are not inconvenienced in terms of accessing the medical services that they require.”
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On Tuesday afternoon, the community reopened the clinic. Mashego said if the management did not responded within four days, the community would close the it again.
