Rundown clinic now a R28m state-of-art facility

For years, the nurses at a small Eastern Cape clinic have had to improvise, using their cellphone torches as makeshift auriscopes whenever they examined their patients’ ears.

This hindered Hamburg Clinic nurses’ ability to properly take care of their patient.

Having old, broken and sometimes no equipment was just one of the problems the nurses had to contend with.

The clinic also operated from a rundown building, with patients having to wait outside as there were no waiting rooms.

But that is now a thing of the past, as health MEC Sindiswa Gomba on Tuesday officially opened a R28m state-of-the-art clinic.

Ayabonga Diko, who has been a nurse at Hamburg Clinic for more than a year, said working under poor conditions had made it difficult for them to do their jobs effectively.

“We didn’t have the necessary equipment to do our jobs to the best of our abilities, so we had to improvise.

“Sinks were broken and we could not wash our hands, which was unsanitary.

“On some days, the one room would be used for paediatric care.

“On days when a doctor would visit, we would only have one room to work from.

“We are now able to work faster and provide quality healthcare,” Diko said.

The clinic now boasts six consulting rooms, an emergency room with state-of-the-art equipment, a maternity ward, running water and flushing toilets.

The Hamburg community came out in their numbers to witness the opening of their new clinic, which officially started operating in July.

Resident Msondeli Mapuma, 60, is one of the people who will benefit from the new facility.

Mapuma suffered temporary amnesia after being hit over the head several years ago.

“I was unable to use the left side of my body for some time,” said Mapuma, who is now on treatment for epilepsy caused by the blow.

“The previous clinic was dilapidated and lacked the proper facilities.

“We had to wait outside in sometimes rainy conditions waiting to be helped.

“I’m happy that this one now has a waiting area,” the elderly man said.

Gomba told residents that the clinic would be a beacon of hope for the community.

“There is still a lot of work to be done.

“We have a backlog of clinics that are in very bad condition.

“Some are in old and rundown buildings and others are just mud structures, ” Gomba said.

The MEC also appealed to the community to safeguard their new clinic.

anelisam@dispatch.co.za