Jeppe Clinic strives to offer better services

Although the South African public health care system is far from perfect, Jeppe Clinic staff said they are doing their best to give their patients the best service.

This is after the EXPRESS received complaints from some patients about the service received at the clinic.

The EXPRESS visited the clinic on April 21 to see the situation first-hand.

Sister Onica Legote said the allegations that they don’t help patients was not true. Like in any public clinic, the Jeppe Clinic has challenges of being short staffed.

“When you have one nurse who sees about 30 patients, there are bound to be problems. Patients arrive at the clinic from as early as 5am to try and be the first in the queue. By the time we arrive, they are already tired of standing so they accuse us of not helping them on time,” said Sister Legote.

Sister Legote said another of the challenges facing the clinic is people who do not honour their appointments.

“We have patients who are on treatment. When they come for treatment, we always give them their next due-date, but some of them don’t come on that date. When they eventually decide to come, that has a negative impact on our system of work because we have to accommodate them” she said.

Sister Legote urged community members to adhere to their treatment dates in order for the clinic to provide a better service to all.

She also urged the community to get involved in the clinic and to not be spectators, who sit on the sides and watch what goes wrong.

“We need the community to play a role. They need to be part of the clinic and people should get involved in our initiatives. This will help us educate other community members about how the clinic works. People can be part of the clinic committee because that will help bridge the gap between the clinic and the public.

“When they become part of the clinic committee, they will be able to go out to the community and educate them about how the clinic operates and the importance of adhering to their appointments. Residents will also know why they must stick to their treatments,” said Sister Legote.

“Some people come to the clinic because they don’t want to go to work. They come to get sick notes and that creates another problem,” she said.

She asked people to stop abusing the system and to only go to the clinic when they are sick.

The EXPRESS spoke to Ms Thabisile Modau, who took her son to the clinic. She said she has been using the clinic since her son was born, almost six years ago.

“The treatment I’ve received over the years is fine. The problem is sitting in the queue for a long time. I wish they could start working as soon as they open. Besides the time you sit on the chairs, they are good because they help you once you go in to see the nurse,” said Ms Modau.

Ms Nelisiwe Mdladla said while the treatment she is receiving from the clinic is good, she wishes clinic staff could sort out the queues.

“They should separate the queues. They must put sick children in their own queue and not mix them with the ones at the clinic for immunization. Elderly people and those who are too sick should be made a first priority,” said Ms Mdladla.