I found one area of excellence in the SA health system

The public health sector in South Africa is broken, right? And many people fear going to hospitals, thinking they are at the mercy of uncaring nurses, sisters and even doctors.

They see images of goats grazing at the entrances to public hospitals, hear stories about endless queues, read about filth, blocked toilets and unhygienic and insanitary conditions. Nurses who are rude and leave patients to suffer in their own filth.

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Some of that may be true but, hidden in the midst of crime and grime in Jeppestown, close to the Johannesburg CBD, there is a clinic where there are angels, or perhaps even saints. In reality, they are simply health professionals, employed by the City of Joburg, who are just doing their job. But with incredible efficiency, care and compassion.

I am in a situation where I and a family member need to get our medication from the state because, like many people, we cannot afford the high rates of private medical aid societies. And medicines cost a small fortune every month.

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A friend told me about Jeppe clinic and off I went. Because I have grey hair I was allowed to sit at the front of the queue in a packed, but orderly clinic, and from then on, I got nothing but exemplary service. Service with a smile from helpful sisters whose only concern is their patients.

I had full bloods taken and, five days later, the doctor had my results on her cellphone. And I got the meds I need. But I am still stunned. Government health services are supposedly on life support. There are stories of people being given Panado and sent home.

Yet, there are people in the public health sector who care. Professionals for whom nursing is still a calling, not a job. Yes, there are queues at the clinic, but everything is organised. People are called by name to collect their files and they wait patiently to get whatever treatment they require.

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There are even metro police officers on patrol to keep everyone safe in a particularly dodgy area. There are areas of excellence in the SA health system … and I found one.