POLOKWANE – A patient phoned Review at 22:00 and upon arrival, the journalist found patients of various ages waiting to be helped by healthcare staff, but to no avail.
There was a register clerk who assisted patients in opening files, and a nurse who checked their vital signs, but neither of the two had the authority to examine patients, or issue or administer medication.
The nurse explained to the patients that there was only one sister on duty and that she was working in the maternity ward.
Vicky Volensteen, who took her three sick children aged seven, nine and 13 to the clinic, said the nurse told her that there are supposed to be 10 people on duty, but only she and another sister reported for work as the others had called in sick.
I sat in the cold with my three children from 18:00 waiting for help.
“By 21:30 I decided to leave because it was clear that we were not going to be helped. Before I left I called several members of the Health Centre Board whose numbers are available on the notice- board at the clinic, but all their numbers were unavailable except the chairperson’s. He said he would come and address the problem, but he never did,” Volensteen explained.
Michelle de Agerla (41) said the sad part was that one could not go straight to the hospital as you needed a referral letter from the clinic to go to the hospital.
“When you go to the hospital, the nurses, sisters and doctors are very rude. They are unfriendly and reluctant to help you if you do not have a letter from the clinic referring you to the hospital. You must basically have one foot in the grave for the hospital personnel to help you without a note from the clinic,” she said.
De Agerla added that the bathroom was in a “horrible state”. “It is dirty, there is no toilet paper and it stinks,” she said.
On Tuesday, health spokesperson, Derick Kganyago, said two professional nurses, two staff nurses, one nursing assistant and one clerk were on duty.
Five patients were attended to, he said, including one pregnant woman. He acknowledged a staff shortage, however, saying the centre has a head count of 16 000 or more patients per month, without the required number of staff to assist.
There is a plan in place to see that this matter is addressed, he said.
