Health centre launches complaints portal

The Gamalakhe Community Health Centre (CHC) is encouraging the public to report any form of dissatisfaction to the centre’s CEO, Frank Shongwe.

Patients are asked to do this through the newly launched Bika Kimi Changing Perception Programme.

The programme is the health centre’s complaints mechanism that ensures patients’ rights to complain are upheld.

Shongwe said Bika Kimi outlined the process for patients, families, and support persons for lodging complaints, recording compliments or suggestions, and what to expect thereafter.

He said the initiative gathered valuable information, enabling the health system to learn from it and respond positively by implementing changes to improve quality.

“We encourage our clients to rate the service they receive and provide compliments where necessary to boost staff morale. Everyone has the right to raise concerns about dissatisfaction with the service they received. However, we discourage using social media platforms to complain, as it will not remedy the situation, and their complaints will not be attended to,” he said.

Shongwe said the CHC recently appointed ambassadors to educate the community about the importance of lodging complaints within the facility rather than on social media.

He added that as enshrined in the National Patients’ Rights Charter, every South African has the right to complain about the health care they receive, have their complaint investigated, and receive a full response.

Shongwe said the CHC’s objectives include respecting patients’ rights to complain or provide compliments and suggestions, resolving problems and concerns raised by clients, satisfying patients’ concerns and implementing actions to address complaints and prevent recurrence, and to ensure complaints are resolved within 15 working days.

Meanwhile, the health centre’s PRO, Lifa Radebe, said with the Bika Kimi programme, they encourage their clients to use the information on the notice boards.

He said these notices display the photos and contact details of the CEO, Dr Frank Shongwe, the health district director, Linda Dlamini, and his contact details as the PRO.

Radebe added that complaint boxes are found in all waiting areas of the centre.

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