IFP youth march over bad state of clinic
"We want to see people getting proper medication in the clinic. We want professional service so that people are out of the clinic in less than three hours."
Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade (IFPYB) marched to the Jabavu Clinic, during a service delivery uproar on Friday June 9 in response to the growing complaints from residents.
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The demonstration expressed the community’s discontentment with the state of the clinic and basic service shortages at the clinic, which they said denied patients of access to health care services.
The youth led group handed over the memorandum to the clinic management who was joined by the ward 35 cllr.
Thando Dlamini, Chairperson of the Youth IFP said the march shows effort towards ensuring quality health care in Gauteng townships.
“We face a lot of challenges with the clinic. We wanted to take our concerns to the management because health is very important and if our people don’t get their needs met and the service delivery is poor, then that increases our mortality rate. It is not fair that our community members have to use other facilities to they get proper service,” the 22-year-old leader said.
The memorandum addressed lack of medical doctors and social works at the clinic, and security concerns.
It alleges that nurses fail to give health examinations required by ailing patients. They further accused the nurses of ill-treating residents and sharing patient information.
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Provincial Deputy Chairperson and Member of Parliament, Zandile Majozi said it was worrisome that more negative reports about the facility had surfaced.
Majozi said they engaged the clinic two months ago and they were shocked at the response and attitude of the matron and clinic leading to the march.
“This is my ward, I stayed here. This clinic used to be one of the best clinics, it used to service people properly and you would never hear such but within the last 15 years, it has gone to something that we cannot even call a clinic.
“The facility here services more than 15000 people with one doctor who comes in once a week. We have more pensioners in this ward, so we are concerned at such growing reports,” she said.
Majozi accused the ward committee in the portfolio of health of being ignorant and turning a blind eye to the deteriorating state of the clinic.
The chairperson added that they wanted their grievances to be addressed within the 30 days or it will escalate to the department of health as an urgent matter.
“We are saying they must take these concerns very seriously because they come from the community. We want to have a waiting area for patients so that they don’t get mugged while queuing outside.
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“We want to see people getting proper medication in the clinic. We want professional service so that people are out of the clinic in less than three hours.
“We want professional conduct from nurses, the doctor and social workers must be available every day to service people.”
Residents who watched from a distance welcomed the march indicating that they too had complaints but were afraid to speak out.
“The staff here is bad, the attitude they have towards patients is horrific. All the issues, we are aware of them but It is difficult to report them when you are alone, we wish the department can intervene, it is about time,” said Lebo Mosia.
