Residents of Nelsville and Valencia got a taste of what it might mean if the operating hours at the satellite clinics servicing the areas are reduced.
In August, the Mpumalanga Department of Health aimed to reduce the hours at both clinics, claiming the patient traffic didn’t warrant both operating full-time. A public outcry postponed the reduction in hours, but ward councillor Ms Sanley Van der Merwe says the department has indicated that a decision needs to be made by December 3.
What it may mean became apparent this week when staff was so reduced due to annual and sick leave, that only one nurse was left to service both clinics.
Nelsville was closed on Monday and Tuesday, and expected to reopen today, with Valencia then being closed.
Van der Merwe explained that between the four nurses and facilities manager allocated to the two clinics, which are satellite facilities of the main clinic in Bell Street in the CBD, one has been away since October, another is on annual leave, while two more have been ill. They are expected to be off work until Friday.
The surprise closure of Nelsville on Monday left patients who had been waiting for service since 07:00 in the lurch.
On Tuesday afternoon Van der Merwe said she was still waiting for the department to communicate what it intended to do about the situation.
“I am trying to determine whether they plan to send one of the nurses at Bell Street to help out in the meantime,” she says. “The one facility cannot just be closed, that would be a problem. There should be a nurse at each facility at least.”
One of the patients, who spoke to Nelspruit Post at Valencia clinic on Tuesday, said she had just brought her baby for her inoculations, and a decrease in operating hours wouldn’t affect her much. She said she preferred Valencia’s facility to the one in Bell Street. “I don’t know about the service there, but the long queues scare me.
“Even if you go there at 06:00, there are too many people.”
Another patient waiting for the nurse was attempting to fill a prescription for her cholesterol medication.
She said sometimes the clinic worked fine as it was, but other days the queues were so long it could take an entire day of waiting to be helped. She added though that regular patients usually received appointment cards and a specific day on which to return for follow-ups.
Van der Merwe said the clinic committee would meet on Monday to discuss the details of the report from health about exactly how a satellite clinic was supposed to work.
She added that they had the option to request the MEC to change the designation of the clinics to health centres, which would allow it be open for more than the planned three days a week.
