Alex resident baffled by story of missing clinic file
Hit-and-run survivor Dineo Mamba calls for a solution on her missing medical file at Masakhane Clinic that she would like to use to claim compensation with the Road Accident Fund.
An Alex resident Dineo Mamba (20) seeks justice following the file which contains her crucial records of her treatment and recovery that went missing a year ago at the Alexandra Community Health Centre, popularly known as Masakhane Clinic.
Mamba was involved in a life-altering car accident in 2012 and this file is essential for her claim to the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
Mamba said, “It has been a year since my file went missing at Masakhane and I’ve been going there [Masakhane] to request my records. All they tell me is that they can’t find my file. I do not understand why only my file went missing out of all the files.
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“What they tell me is that maybe my file went missing during the takeover of the clinic by the government. This too does not make sense because they only lost my file from the whole lot. When I came to request my file, I gave the nurse my file retrieval card which they did not give back to me after they searched for my file.
Mamba said when she asked for the file retrieval card, she was told that the card too had been lost. “They initially lost my file and now it’s my file retrieval card too that has gone missing. All this does not make sense to me,” Mamba said.
Mamba said since her file was not found she then decided to stop getting medication from Masakhane because she did not want to open a new file.
“I then decided to go to a private hospital for medication and check-ups because I did not want to open the new file at Masakhane as the records that were on the previous file would no longer be available,” Mamba said.
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She added, “It’s been a constant battle, fighting to heal from the injuries of the hit-and-run accident. I have to inject myself every day because I still experience pains in some body parts and I cannot stand or walk for long.
“The missing file has made life more difficult for me, as I cannot claim compensation for my injuries from the fund to enable me to settle my hospital bills. All I want now is a solution for my missing file so I can make the necessary claim from the accident fund,” Mamba said.
Gauteng Department of Health’s Johannesburg Health District communications manager Sandile Gwayi said, “It is not clear how and when Mamba’s file disappeared, as the incident occurred many years ago.
Gwayi said before the government takeover of the management of Alexandra Community Health Care, there was a history of medical records that were taken home by the patients.
According to the clinic administration clerk, Gwayi said the appointment card was handed back to Mamba when she requested the file to access her medical records.
“When the government took over the clinic, only 12 files were not found, and as soon as there is a file that is missing, relevant staff look for the file until they are convinced that it cannot be found, and then make an affidavit at South African Police Services,” Gwayi said.
According to the records, Gwayi said a request was made on 04/10/2023 by A Ndlovu Attorneys. An affidavit of a missing file was made on February 3, 2024, after a thorough search was made in the clinic’s records. Gwayi said the affidavit, along with other requested documents, was sent to the registry a day later by email.
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