On Monday, a Weltevreden Park resident posted on Facebook about being turned away at the Weltevreden Park Clinic when she went there with flu-like symptoms.
Buhle Mandlakazi said she was advised to return the next day as the clinic was not attending to patients with flu. Naturally other community members expressed concern at the possibility of a patient being turned away in the midst of a pandemic that often presents with flu-like symptoms.
Rose Legwale, Manager for Region C Clinics said she had already been made aware of the situation. “Clinics are adjusting to a lot of patients coming in, but we are not turning people away,” she clarified. “We need to be aware that we are in the middle of a third wave and according to protocol, you must have symptoms.”
Legwale said it was also important that community members are cognizant that at many facilities long queues cannot be avoided as more and more people look to get tested. Mandlakazi, who expressed her dissatisfaction, said she was told that the clinic was full and patients had been waiting since 8am. “Maybe they don’t have enough staff, but their service was bad”.
On Wednesday, the resident said she eventually received service at the local clinic and tested for Covid. Legwale advised residents to practice patience when going to healthcare facilities.
