Residents of Pampierstad in the Northern Cape say they feel neglected and are denied healthcare services. This, as many are turned away at the local healthcare facility since Sakhile Clinic was shut down. The clinic has been closed due to water leakages flooding consultation rooms. Residents say they are unable to access primary healthcare services.
Many residents find themselves having to travel to neighbouring towns just to access healthcare services. They say they are being failed by the health department.
“Every now and then, the clinic is closed due to water shortages and other things we don’t know about. The clinic is closed, the people who are supposed to get chronic medications they don’t get them. So, where are they supposed to get their medication,” says one resident Theophilus Wittes.
For an elderly living across the street, seeking help at the clinic has become futile. She says the clinic is closed most of the times and when it is operational she is not assisted with her chronic medication.
“I have chronic disease. I have high blood pressure. I have a heart condition and diabetes. When we get sick, where are we supposed to go? We have nowhere to go. This is the nearest clinic we have that is supposed to help us. We don’t have money to travel to other clinics that are far away,” says another resident Jennet Kujane.
Like her, many are frustrated and desperate.
“We are losing hope because when we get sick at night, we have nowhere to go. Taung is too far and when we call an ambulance it take too long to arrive,” says another resident Kediemetse Dipitso.
The department says it is attending to infrastructure and resource issues experienced at this clinic and will ensure that residents receive healthcare services.
“As the department, we are aware about the issue at hand and we wish to express our sincere apology to the local residents. First, it is important to note that the said facility is temporary – it was constructed a few years ago and we can also in the main inform members of the community that discussions are under way internally to construct the state of the art facility in the area. With regard to water leakage, we have assigned a contractor to fix the areas affected in the facility,” says Northern Cape Health spokesperson, Lebogang Majaha.
The clinic is expected to be closed for the next two weeks while maintenance work is under way, residents are demanding answers.
In the video below, Pampierstad residents express their frustrations:
