He was under the impression that the clinic sees patients in Sentra at 10am on Thursdays, but when he arrived with his granddaughter Potse Mohube, the clinic had already packed up and departed.
“I enquired about the service from shopkeepers and was informed that the clinic service was not available on that day because they were short-staffed and would only be back the following week,” he says.
He went back to Sentra the following week, but again missed the mobile clinic and was told that it arrived earlier than usual.
Victor thought it best to go to Skoonplaas Informal Settlement to see if the mobile clinic was there, but it had already left by the time he arrived.
He wants to know if there is a schedule of operations, because “it seems to be an elusive service”.
According to the Ekurhuleni Metro, there is a fixed schedule for the mobile clinic points from Monday to Friday as other areas are also serviced by the same mobile clinic.
Ekurhuleni Metro spokesman Themba Gadebe says the mobile clinic renders mobile health services first at Skoonplaas Informal Settlement between 9am and 11am before leaving for Eastvale to render services between 11.30am to 2.30pm on Thursdays.
On the day in question the vehicle started at Skoonplaas and then moved to Eastvale.
A total of 30 patients were seen on that day and 21 patients the following week where both mobile points were serviced.
Gadebe says Mohube may have missed the service as he went to the second point in Eastvale first and by the time he got to the Skoonplaas site the mobile had already left.
“The mobile may move from one point to another earlier than intended if there are no clients,” he says.
“This will be corrected and personnel have been informed that they must adhere to the scheduled service times.”
Gadebe says mechanical breakdowns and other unforeseen occurrences, such as storms, may prevent the mobile from going out.
“In these instances attempts are made to inform the community by contacting key people and informing close-by shops,” he says.
Gadebe adds the metro apologises for any inconvenience to the complainant and will take the necessary steps to prevent future occurrences where possible.
