MBOMBELA – It is little wonder that community members became upset at the news that their local clinics would shortly be all but closed, given that Mpumalanga’s public health-care system is famous for failing the general population.
The few residents who knew about the plan to drastically decrease the operating hours of the satellite clinics in Nelsville and Valencia as of September 1 were highly irate.
A resident of Nelsville, Ms Mary Schatz, says she found out about the proposed decrease by accident only.
“The community was happy with the service. It worked wonderfully, the nurses were friendly.” She added that the clinics could accommodate older people who didn’t have to wait long to be helped.
But this is exactly the problem, explains spokesman for the provincial department of health, Mr Dumisani Malamule. Both are satellite branches of the Bell Street clinic in Mbombela.
“The clinics in Valencia and Nelsville are located too close together. It is not cost-effective to run both for five days a week. The nurses are underutilised.”
He says the headcount of patients at each number about 1 000 per month. With two full-time nurses, they are not able to see the national standard of 40 patients per day, while drawing full salaries. If each clinic operates for the planned two days a week, they will serve the same number of patients, but have the nurses work more, goes the logic.
Malamule adds that no nurses will lose their jobs, but instead be utilised in the Bell Street clinic and rotated among the satellites. He says the department started with the review on how best to utilise the resources in July, but confirmed that the clinic committees were not officially notified in time to call public meetings. Therefore the preliminary starting date has been postponed until October 1.
“We want to consult the community and get their views before we decide to go ahead.”
Schatz is not appeased. “We don’t ask for much. But we are tired of getting only the crumbs that government is giving us. It is our basic human right to have them in every area. Is cutting clinic services improving service delivery?”
• A public meeting on the matter has been scheduled for Thursday at 18:00 in the Nelsville Community Hall. Enquiries: Schatz on 082-679-5488.
