Ratanda Ext 7 residents fear for patient safety as clinic operates without electricity for 10 months
Residents of Ratanda say they are living in fear as the Ext 7 Clinic continues to operate without municipal electricity for nearly a year, forcing reliance on a broken generator and raising urgent concerns over patient safety and healthcare service delivery.
Residents of Ratanda have raised serious concerns over the ongoing electricity outage at the Ext 7 Clinic, which has left the facility without municipal power for nearly 10 months, disrupting healthcare services and raising fears over patient safety.
The issue was raised after the uMkhonto weSizwe Party received a complaint from residents on April 14. A follow-up visit confirmed that electricity has not been restored since June last year.
It is understood that clinic management has been reporting both electricity and diesel shortages through official channels to the area manager, who escalated the matter to the district office.
Despite multiple communications, residents say they have received no response or intervention.
Lindo Mthembu said: “We depend on this clinic for almost everything when it comes to our health, especially for our children and elderly relatives. What is most concerning is that there is no electricity to properly store medication or run essential equipment. We are constantly asking ourselves whether the medicine we are given is still safe, and how long this situation is going to continue without any clear answers from authorities.”
Thokozile Motha said the lack of electricity has made patients question the reliability of healthcare services at the facility.
“When you walk into a clinic and there is no power, you immediately start worrying about everything. You wonder whether the machines are working properly, whether vaccines are being stored at the correct temperature, and whether emergency cases can be handled safely.
People come here expecting care, but instead they leave with more fear than relief. This is a serious risk to the community, especially in emergencies,” she said.
Jabulani Sibisi, they demand urgent intervention, including immediate diesel supply to restore generator power.
“We are not asking for anything complicated, but for a clinic that functions. People’s lives depend on this facility, and it is unacceptable that we have been living with uncertainty about something as basic as electricity for almost a year. The authorities need to step in immediately before this situation becomes a tragedy,” he said.
Comment is awaited from the Lesedi Local Municipality.
