VANDERBIJLPARK – The sudden closure of Johan Heyns Community Health Centre has left healthcare workers and patients frustrated.
This follows a two-week-long closure due to an alleged electrical fault according to the institution’s spokeswoman.
Ster South visited the hospital on Thursday, January 25, to monitor the grappling condition and monitor the situation raised by frustrated workers who have since been moved to local clinics and hospitals.
When the Ster Team arrived, some patients were still turned back at the hospital gates, not knowing where to go for medication and other healthcare services.
Speaking to the paper, a disgruntled employee alleged the reason behind the hospital closure stems from a fire incident that occurred weeks ago, and since then, the building has been deemed unsafe.
“Our building has many issues but the fire made the department realize and consider dozens of grievances we have been raising before. The hospital is without proper ventilation, it is constantly plunged into darkness due to electrical headaches and sometimes we are having water shortage,” she said.
“We were sent a communique that the hospital will be temporarily closed following the fire incident and patients should go to clinics or health facilities near them,” she added.
Another health worker who spoke to the paper in anonymity fearing victimization said “We are used to working from Vanderbijlpark and we even moved closer to work. It pains us to be transferred to hospitals as far as Sebokeng due to lack of maintenance. The department knows about the headaches we facing and as always, they dragged their feet when we reported the issues.”
Nthabiseng Mokoena, a disgruntled patient said “I didn’t receive any communication about the closing of the facility. I came for my treatment and I was shocked to learn that the hospital was closed. Now one must go back and queue in long lines in the same facilities we ran from in the beginning.”
The facility’s spokesperson Portia Gibson confirmed the electricity issue, but denied the fire allegations.
“Currently the facility does not have any power which is affecting the health services provided at the facility. The Emergency, unit Maternity unit, and Primary Health Care services are temporally closed, all clients booked for their Chronic Medication will receive their medication,” she said.
Gibson said the Sedibeng District Health assures the community of Emfuleni that the electrical fault is urgently being attended to.
“The contractor is appointed, and the situation is monitored closely. Updates on the situation will be communicated accordingly,” she said.
Meanwhile, the department has since urged patients to utilize close by facilities which are: Driehoek Clinic, Bophelong CDC, Sharpeville CHC, and Boipatong CHC for health care services.
