Fed up with a lack of action from Limpopo’s Health Department, which has been accused of not taking the community seriously, angry residents barricaded roads and blocked access to the Valdezia Clinic in the Vhembe district last week, demanding new buildings and more staff.
Shumani Maboko, who led the protest, told Montsho Matlala from Health-e News that the under-staffed facility was in a shocking and decaying state, with toilets that don’t work, broken pipes and furniture, and no water.
They had been pleading for years for a new well-equipped clinic and more staff, he added.
“We also need a tarred road so that the clinic is easy to access. In around 2017 some officials came to do soil tests for the construction – but as yet nothing has happened.”
One of the patients, who is on chronic medication, said it was common to leave Valdezia Clinic after a visit and return home without being attended to.
“Not that the nurses are lazy… but they are overworked and get tired to the point of becoming unfriendly to patients because of pressure and frustration.”
Call for calm
Limpopo Health has condemned the protest, which it says is blocking access to vital healthcare services.
“In response to the disruptions, Valdezia Clinic staff will be temporarily reassigned to nearby facilities to ensure continued service delivery,” said spokesperson Neil Shikwambana.
The department acknowledged that the clinic was in an old building, and said officials “have engaged with legitimate community representatives” on several occasions to address the challenges.
“These meetings have been productive. The communities have been informed about the limitations the department faces, particularly in terms of resources, making the construction of a new clinic unfeasible at this time.
“The department allocates an annual budget for basic maintenance of all of its healthcare facilities, to ensure existing infrastructure is properly maintained.”
Ongoing issue
Wanga Nenungwi, labour organiser for the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) in Vhembe district, said his union had complained for years about lack of staff and dilapidated infrastructure at Valdezia Clinic.
“A shortage of nurses causes poor service delivery to patients and exhaustion to employees. Only two nurses, one professional and one assistant, attend to patients in both shifts.
“They don’t have a cleaner and a clerk, meaning the very same nurses must open files for patients or search for existing patients’ documents, mop up floors, issue medication and compile data on their own,” Nenungwi said.
The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw), Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) and National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) said most of the government health facilities in the province face shortages and dilapidated infrastructure, but the department was simply turning a blind eye.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Limpopo’s 33% nursing vacancy rate ‘not a crisis’ — MEC
Limpopo hires 300 healthcare professionals, but protests continue
Man throws urine at clinic staff after long wait
Idle clinic staff get tongue-lashing from Limpopo Health MEC