JERUSALEM – There is a glimmer of hope for two rural clinics that have recently been in the news, all thanks to the tabling of the Department of Health’s budget speech last week.
The MEC for health, Mr Gillion Mashego, mentioned that the department requested the assistance of the National Department of Health by erecting innovative building technology (IBT) structures at Khumbula and Jerusalem clinics.
This is after there was an huge outcry from the two communities.
“Recently there were reported challenges by the media in some of our clinics.
I can report to the house that I visited all these clinics and indeed the situation was appalling,” Mashego told members of the provincial legislature last week.
He added that the IBT structures were being rolled out in other provinces which had similar challenges.
“As part of speeding up the programme of ideal clinics in the province, together with the national department, we are in a process of constructing new primary health-care facilities in Nhlazatshe 6, Vukuzakhe, Mkhondo and Msukaligwa as well as a mini-hospital in Balfour.”
However, several locals told Mpumalanga News that they were fed up with empty promises that were not followed by action.
They accused Mashego of lying through his teeth just like the previous MEC, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini.
“It’s been more than a year since the previous MEC came here and got us excited about how the department was going to ‘urgently attend to our cry’ but nothing has happened, not even temporary relief was allocated to the clinic,” said one of the community members, Mr Vusi Twala.
He added that some people who stayed closer to the clinic were no longer comfortable with visiting the facility for medical consultation because they were afraid that something drastic could happen to the building at anytime.
“The roof is falling apart and looks like it can collapse anytime. Maybe that won’t be such a bad thing since our government wants to see something bad happening before they take action. Personally I don’t buy what Mashego is saying.
He had to state such since he was tabling his budget speech. That was just talk,” Twala added.
When the paper visited the clinic on Friday, it noted that nothing had changed since its previous visit 18 months ago.
One of the health workers who wished to remain anonymous said that the situation had gone from bad to worse and they could only hope that the department would finally come to their rescue, since working there was no longer a pleasant experience.
