The Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom, and DA ward councillors Gert Niemand and Caleb Finn conducted an impromptu oversight visit to Discoverers Clinic in Roodepoort.
The unannounced visit was the result of numerous complaints received from patients and community members over inadequate service and a shortage of staff.
Photo: Khanyisile Molaba
Discoverers Clinic has experienced a high volume of visitors since Florida Clinic was closed for renovations in March. As a temporary arrangement, the patients and residents in Florida were advised to go to neighbouring clinics in Discovery, Rex Street, Helderkruin and Weltevreden Park for treatment. This arrangement will remain in place until all the upgrades and renovations are completed.
The DA representatives found Discoverers Clinic to be in a good condition, but expressed concerns about the length of time that patients were required to wait before being attended to by staff. Other complaints involved the long queues, poor attitude of some of the clinic’s staff and a shortage of doctors.
According to Bloom, the clinic currently only has four doctors.
“We have discovered that patients wait for as long as three to four hours before they are treated or attended to by staff. Some of them come as early as 6am.
This is unacceptable. However, we also understand that the clinic itself is in a difficult situation, as it can only do so much to cope with the high volumes of patients with Florida Clinic being closed for renovations,” he said.
Listen to Bloom’s observations during the site inspection at Discoverers Clinic:
Niemand and Finn also felt that more needed to be done to ensure that patients are treated and attended to effectively. However they agreed that the clinic was doing as much as it possibly can, given the current situation.
Listen to Niemand and Finn’s observations during the oversight visit:
The Clinic’s head, Matron Hannie van der Schyff, said the clinic was unaffected by the high volume of patients, as the necessary arrangements had been made to accommodate them. She then refused to comment further and urged the DA officials and Record journalists to contact the Regional Health Administration Office.
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The councillors and the MEC said they would get in touch with the Regional Health Administration Office to ensure that all patient grievances are addressed.
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