No kids, no pap smear, women are told by nurses

POLOKWANE – Young women who have never given birth and want a pap smear done at Rethabile Clinic are allegedly being turned away by the sisters on duty.

A pap smear is a procedure to test for cervical cancer in women.

Review received several complaints from women in their early 20’s who went to the clinic to have a pap smear but were refused this crucial service by the sisters on duty as, according to the sisters, they did not have children and therefore did not need a pap smear. One complainant told Review she had no money to go to a private doctor and this was why she relied on the clinic to have a pap smear done.

“There is a history of cervical cancer in my family. I went to the clinic twice last year for a pap smear and in both cases the sisters refused to help me. When they refused to help me the first time, I decided to take my mother along the second time, hoping they would help me then, but still they refused. Last week I went again, but still they did not want to help me. What am I supposed to do?” the woman asked.

According health spokesperson, Macks Lesufi, Rethabile Clinic allows all women of 18 years and above to have a regular pap smear.

“However there are conditions to this service that should be considered by the health worker for reliable results. The age and health status of an individual are important factors to consider before a pap smear can be done. It is beneficial for a woman to go for a pap smear as it picks up the presence of cancerous cells before they spread,” Lesufi explained.

In a separate incident, a woman (42) said she took her two children, age three and 13 years old, to the clinic because they had had flu for about a week and were not getting better even though the she had given them medication she had bought at a pharmacy. She said she did not have money to take her children to a private doctor and decided to take them to Rethabile Clinic.

Rethabile Clinic is open at night and because the woman worked during the day, she decided to take her children to the clinic after work, which was between 18:00 and 19:00.

However, when she reached the clinic the sister on duty allegedly told her that the clinic was only open for emergencies at night and not to assist flu patients. She said the sister told her she should bring her children to the clinic during the day, but she would assist her that night, just that one time.

Lesufi explained that Rethabile Clinic was a 24-hour facility that provided services such as deliveries, and minor ailments, which included emergency care. “This means that the patients who came in reporting flu cases were supposed to be provided with service regardless of the time of day,” he said.

He added that the department would investigate the allegations made and take all the necessary steps to deal with any service delivery obstacles in facilities such as Rethabile Clinic.

“We pride ourselves as a department that prioritises quality healthcare services,” Lesufi said.