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North West farming community decry lack of healthcare services

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The North West farming community of Skuilsdrift, near Groot Marico says it’s unable to access proper healthcare services. Residents say their appeal for intervention from the Health Department has fallen on deaf ears. They say they are attended to in public, without privacy.
Health workers, who operate a mobile clinic, say a resident offered them a room to consult patients but residents say this is inadequate.
“Patients could collapse because we are forced to stand on our feet even when we are this ill. There are no chairs. There is no shade for the sun or even to hide when it’s raining. There are no toilets even,” a patient explains.
“There is no privacy. Everyone can hear you while consulting,” another patient added.
“The mobile clinic comes twice a month and the problem that we have is that we have to travel 20 to 30 kilometres to reach the mobile,” another patient elaborates.
Meanwhile, the provincial department of health acknowledged the challenges and has pledged to intervene.
“The department has noted the complaints of the Skuilsdrift community in Groot Marico and the district management team has been directed to make an assessment and provide solutions,” spokesperson for the department Tebogo Lekgethwane explains.

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