Residents of Logobate Village near Kuruman in the Northern Cape say they have been left without a clinic after strong winds blew off the roof of the clinic.
According to residents, this has left the clinic closed for nearly a month and for surrounding villages which depend on the clinic, this has meant no access to healthcare.
The residents say their cries for help have fallen on deaf ears.
“Our government is delaying to help us. The nurses have been reporting about this roof for a long time but the district health office did nothing to help us.”
“Our government needs to help us with this clinic because our sick people are suffering and five villages rely on this clinic and they are all suffering.”
Impact on healthcare workers:
Meanwhile, Western Cape Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo has cut short a visit to health facilities in Khayelitsha due to safety issues, after a group of healthcare workers staged protests at various clinics, demanding permanent employment, benefits and protective equipment in the fight against COVID-19.
The community-based healthcare workers staged a demonstration at the entrance of the Khayelitsha Community Health Centre in Site B ahead of Mbombo’s arrival.
Health worker Ntombethemba Maduna says their work in the community is not being recognised.
“We demand permanent employment like professional nurses because our work is the same and more, but the money we are earning is not enough when compared with the work we are doing. We want to be recognised by your department as permanent workers in South Africa.”
Mbombo later invited the leadership of the workers to a meeting next week.
“Let us meet next week. I’m not going to promise you anything in front of the TV and later say something else, but let’s meet next week and deal with the problems once and for all,” says Mbombo.
Community health workers staged a similar protest at the nearby Michael Maphongwana Community Health Centre in Harare. Health worker Bongiwe Chipeio says they are demanding proper PPEs.
“Our demand is proper PPEs. Most of our CHW’s have been infected with this COVID-19. One of us died yesterday (Tuesday) and nothing has been done. Our workplaces are overcrowded. There’s is not social distancing and nothing is being done.”
The healthcare workers are also demanding permanent employment by the provincial health department.
