The residents who complained said they have been visiting the clinic on Thursdays and Fridays for the past three weeks without any assistance.
A man and his wife recently went to the clinic to open a file after discovering the woman was expecting.
“Before we even went to the clinic, we knew it gets crowded. Therefore, we decided to go at 04:00 to try and beat the queue, but found ourselves leaving that afternoon without any assistance. When we got there, people were already waiting in line for the clinic to open at 08:00.”
The man alleges that only 10 people were assisted and that the same thing happened when they returned the following day.
“Even if you go there early, the chances are that you will not be helped because so many other people are also seeking medical attention. The nurses are slow and always leave at 13:00 regardless of how many people are in the queue.” He says that if you try and ask them why they are leaving or what the operational hours of the clinic are, the treatment gets worse, leaving people afraid to speak up.
Asked for comment on the matter, Spokesperson for Health, Neil Shikwambana says no nurses are allowed to leave work after only five hours on duty.
Shikwambana says the productivity of nurses at clinics is the reason why patients are often dissatisfied, as opposed to there being a shortage of nurses.
“It is unacceptable that nurses leave at 13:00. Even nurses working in day clinics do not leave at 13:00, they need to close between 16:30 and 17:00 daily”.
When asked whether there was enough staff at the clinic, Shikwambana reiterated that the challenge is not getting more staff, but increasing productivity.
“As a measure to ensure residents receive service, the department will intervene. Those who are unable to report issues at the clinic can engage the office of Motlatso Leshokgohla, the District Executive Manager on 066 479 0759 for assistance.”
