POLOKWANE – This is according to Health Spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, who said the department acknowledged complaints of amid others, social distancing measures not being implemented at the clinic. When a BONUS journalist arrived at the clinic earlier this week, patients were not observing social distancing or wearing face masks and upon entry, patients were not being sanitised or alerted of safety precautions.
Shikwambana says all health facilities have received thorough training and staff received the necessary support to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Patients who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had been at the clinic since early Monday morning and that safety regulations were not adhered to.
“We were not told to stand a metre apart, and when you individually try to do that, people cut the line in front of you.” Another patient said: “If you want to be sanitised, you need to ask them for it because they are not sanitising everyone at entry level like they should.”
Shikwambana added that the MEC had personally visited clinics to offer support and to ensure that the prescribed precautions are followed. “Each and every facility has leadership that must ensure that these measures are put in place and they will have to account to the department’s investigation into the matter. This is an important matter to us because we have indicated from the onset that our fight against Covid-19 is a push-back strategy which seeks to prevent the virus rather than curing it.”
We need all hands on deck to achieve this and our healthcare facilities are key in this quest.”Shikwambana further reiterated that all health institutions are expected to adhere to the highest levels of infection control not only with Covid-19, but also all other infections.He said patients who note regulations not being adhered to, can report such incidents through the Covid-19 callback number at 30775.
