For weeks the sisters at the clinic have said they are broke and short-staffed. Now only one doctor and three nurses are there today (Tuesday 12 March).
Apparently they have been moved to other facilities or have lost their jobs. It seems there are no funds to pay staff.
People are being shown away without appointment.
Today one of the sisters said the Gordon’s Bay and Somerset West clinics are (allegedly) closed to chronic patients, who now flood to Strand, which makes it worse.
We have always got good service at Strand Community Day Centre (CDC), Cortland’s Place in Main Road.
The sisters hope the place will stay open, but say so with sadness in their eyes.
What will happen to hundreds of people who depend on clinics for medication and so much more?
I’m just wondering if this is something the readers should be made aware of, especially ahead of the elections. Maybe someone is playing for time and keeping doors open until May.
Concerned citizen,
E-mail
The City of Cape Town responds: “The Strand health facility referred to is a provincial facility, and the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness would be best placed to respond to patient concerns.
“The Gordon’s Bay and Somerset West clinics are City-run, and we can confirm that services at these clinics continue, and are being strengthened. Chronic clients who do not require consultations with doctors are being seen by clinical nurse practitioners at both facilities. The medication pick-up service for chronic clients is also being strengthened.”
Abulele Dyasi, communications officer for the provincial Department of Health and Wellness in Khayelitsha East Sub-structure, said the department acknowledges frustrations among clients due to increased waiting times at health-care facilities.
“Strand Clinic is fully functional and responding to current health priorities and client needs according to the package of care offered. Clients can expect longer waiting times due to the large number of patients and limited resources. In order to best serve the needs of the community, we triage clients based on the severity of their illnesses and those with mild illnesses might wait longer or be asked to return on a future date.
“We make daily announcements at the clinic to inform clients about issues that might cause service delays. We encourage all clients to make appointments and speak to the manager on duty to address any concerns they may have.”
