Residents of West Bank in East London are up in arms over the on-off operation of a public clinic in the area.
The clinic, in Bank Street, caters for more than 2000 people, but opens only on Mondays and Tuesdays, often does not have medication and “opens and closes randomly” with no set times, residents claim.
Candice Johnson, who looks after her 18-month-old nephew and took him to the centre for his immunisation, said she was turned away on Tuesday and told to return next week.
She claimed the same happened on December 18.
“We live a life of hell here. This child has now not had immunisation for two months, which is not right. The whole community is suffering.
“And sadly when we go to other areas, we get turned away because they say we have our own clinic in West Bank.”
The residents’ anger has led to a war of words between the provincial department of health and DA in the legislature.
Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said there was nothing unusual about this clinic opening only on Mondays and Tuesdays since it was not a clinic but a “health post”.
“A health post is a place where mobile clinic services are provided, for instance in a village community where we can identify a rondavel, community hall or even a church for mobile clinics to be stationed at.”
DA shadow MEC for health Celeste Barker is having none of this. “The department of health should not be confusing patients who rely on the West Bank Clinic because their health rights are enshrined in our constitution.
“If the West Bank Clinic has been changed to serve a different purpose, the signage should reflect such changes.”
Residents claimed there were times when they went to the clinic on Monday or Tuesday around 2pm, only to be met by shut doors.
Kupelo dismissed this saying the community was well aware of the mobile service schedule.
He advised residents to go the clinic in Greenfields, saying they would not be turned away.
“No one has a right to turn away a patient from a health facility. Where we do not have a clinic we use mobile clinics, not just at West Bank but in a number of areas in the province.” — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
Residents irate over erratic clinic
The clinic, in Bank Street, caters for more than 2000 people, but opens only on Mondays and Tuesdays, often does not have medication and “opens and closes randomly” with no set times, residents claim.
Candice Johnson, who looks after her 18-month-old nephew and took him to the centre for his immunisation, said she was turned away on Tuesday and told to return next week.
She claimed the same happened on December 18.
“We live a life of hell here. This child has now not had immunisation for two months, which is not right. The whole community is suffering.
“And sadly when we go to other areas, we get turned away because they say we have our own clinic in West Bank.”
The residents’ anger has led to a war of words between the provincial department of health and DA in the legislature.
Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said there was nothing unusual about this clinic opening only on Mondays and Tuesdays since it was not a clinic but a “health post”.
“A health post is a place where mobile clinic services are provided, for instance in a village community where we can identify a rondavel, community hall or even a church for mobile clinics to be stationed at.”
DA shadow MEC for health Celeste Barker is having none of this. “The department of health should not be confusing patients who rely on the West Bank Clinic because their health rights are enshrined in our constitution.
“If the West Bank Clinic has been changed to serve a different purpose, the signage should reflect such changes.”
Residents claimed there were times when they went to the clinic on Monday or Tuesday around 2pm, only to be met by shut doors.
Kupelo dismissed this saying the community was well aware of the mobile service schedule.
He advised residents to go the clinic in Greenfields, saying they would not be turned away.
“No one has a right to turn away a patient from a health facility. Where we do not have a clinic we use mobile clinics, not just at West Bank but in a number of areas in the province.” — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
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