Cape Town – The Gugulethu Development Forum (GDF) has decried the state of the KTC Clinic, whose condition it says has worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The forum is calling for better health-care services. It says its plea to the provincial health government for mobile clinics and a hospital to alleviate the overcrowded clinic, which accommodates other neighbouring communities, has fallen on deaf ears.
The provincial health department said it was in the process of exploring a possible site for a new health-care facility.
GDF general-secretary Vincent Domingo said residents were being robbed of their right to health care as many were being turned away.
“Our clinic does not have the capacity to deliver quality services. They are understaffed and when
other clinics close to be decontaminated, patients go there, so people spend about six hours waiting to be assisted.
"When it reaches the number of people it can take for the day, a large number of patients are turned away,” said Domingo.
He said many residents had also complained about being referred to Mitchells Plain or Heideveld hospitals, alleging a lack of medication.
“The KTC also has high referrals because it does not cater for certain illnesses.
“We have high incidences of stabbings and shootings in the area and the clinic cannot cope with this.
“The forum, along with many other organisations, has written to the department and also met with health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo about two years ago, who made empty promises and never got back to us.
“If they cannot build a hospital any time soon, then they must upgrade the ones we have and give us mobile clinics,” said Domingo.
An online petition has also been started by the forum, demanding that their health facilities be improved.
The Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain substructure spokesperson, Monique Johnstone said: “In the interim, a prefabricated structure is being erected on the current Gugulethu Community Health Centre site to assist with health-care pressures due to the Covid-19
pandemic.
“For the safety of the patients and staff during the pandemic, social distancing measures were put in place in the facility, which only allows a certain number of patients to enter at a time.”
Johnstone said to alleviate the long waiting times and to protect vulnerable and high-risk community members, the facility ensured that patients with comorbidities had their
chronic medication delivered to their homes by community health-care workers.
“Wellness community outreaches will be rolled out next week to cater for non-Covid-19 health-care needs in the area. This will also alleviate the long waiting time burden at the facility. The department will always ensure that patients receive their medication.”