A water leak that resulted in the flooding of a Khayelitsha clinic, damaging patient records, has reignited community concerns about file theft, reports News24.
The Town Two Clinic said an unknown number of patient folders were affected, while healthcare services have also been disrupted.
Apparently, there was a component failure in the water tank system on the weekend of 5 June, resulting in an overflow into the reception area, and flooding the room where files were stored.
Patients, however, say they were not told about the extent of the damage until the clinic started having difficulties dispensing medication because records could not be located.
The Department of Health confirmed the incident, saying it had prioritised the recovery and safeguarding of all affected records.
It said when staff had found the leak, they had immediately controlled it and begun drying, assessing and recovering damaged records.
The water system had since been repaired.
The flooding has nevertheless heightened anxieties in the community, where rumours have circulated for years that patient folders are disappearing or being sold.
Locals have previously named Town Two Clinic as being among several Cape Town clinics linked to rumours that patient files are being sold to people seeking to obtain social grants fraudulently.
While the city has consistently said it has found no evidence to support those claims, the South African Social Security Agency has previously confirmed that law enforcement agencies are investigating the allegations.
A nurse at the clinic said tensions remained high. “Management held another meeting with patients last week to reassure them that any lost folders would be replaced, but many were not satisfied. Some threatened to throw bottles at us, and we do not feel safe.”
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