{"id":297968,"date":"2026-06-05T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:00:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T08:00:58","slug":"patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CENTANE, Eastern Cape – <\/strong>Patients from Ngcizele Clinic in Centane are reportedly forced to sweep the waiting room themselves due to a shortage of staff, including nurses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the patients, Musa Wesi (22), said she visited the clinic twice this month and was saddened to see that patients were being attended to by only one professional nurse.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said that on the first day she visited the clinic for a personal matter, she noticed there was only one nurse assisting patients. On the second day, when she went to collect her mother’s medication, she was shocked to find patients left unattended, awaiting nurses who travel from Butterworth. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is no staff here. We are forced to clean the floor before we get help because we cannot sit in a dirty place like this. No one asks us to do it, but we can see the condition of our clinic. It used to have nurses, but now we do not know what is happening.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that residents are worried the clinic may eventually close, even though it serves a large number of surrounding communities.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another patient who helped sweep the clinic, Nomawethu Katikati (65), said she had gone there to collect medication for a heart condition. She said that when they arrived, they found the clinic dirty and decided to sweep while waiting for assistance. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are appealing to the government to bring more nurses to our clinic. It is a very beautiful clinic and even has accommodation for nurses, but there are no nurses. We need help with this situation,” she said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional leader of the area, Chief Mxolisi Soga, said they had tried several times to seek help from the department, but no one had been willing to assist them. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We even went to the Legislature to ask for help because people are sick. It is very painful to depend on one nurse. When this nurse is sick, the clinic closes. We went to Butterworth Hospital to ask for help, and they gave us one nurse who only arrives around 12:00 because the area is far from where she comes from,”said Soga.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Soga, the community urgently needs assistance. He added that it is shameful for patients to be treated in a dirty environment because there is no cleaner at the clinic.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape MEC for Health, Camagwini Mavovana, said the Department of Health is aware of concerns raised regarding staffing at Ngcizele Clinic. She said that, at present, the facility has one professional nurse assigned.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The district has already submitted a formal motivation requesting the appointment of additional agency nurses to strengthen service delivery, and it has been prioritised in this regard, including consideration for a second nurse to improve staffing capacity,” she said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that regarding staffing norms, a ratio of one professional nurse to approximately 25 to 35 patients is generally accepted in primary healthcare facilities, although patient volumes may fluctuate during peak periods, temporarily increasing waiting times and staff pressure. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Department is implementing broader interventions to address staffing pressures across primary healthcare facilities.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In the 2026\/27 financial year budget speech, the MEC for the Department of Health, Ntandokazi Capa, announced the filling of 1,000 general worker posts across the province, which include cleaners and other essential support staff. Ngcizele Clinic is included within the prioritised rollout to benefit from these appointments, which will further strengthen operational capacity at the facility level. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Regarding concerns raised about facility conditions, the Department notes that it has not received verified reports of sustained neglect at the clinic.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mavovana said any isolated incidents observed are being taken seriously, and appropriate internal processes will ensure that standards of cleanliness and service delivery are consistently maintained going forward.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Department continues to prioritise critical posts within available resources while implementing targeted recruitment, agency support, and phased post-filling to strengthen service delivery at the facility level.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Patients at Ngcizele Clinic in Centane say they are forced to sweep waiting areas and endure long waits as staff shortages leave only one nurse on duty. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":297969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"author_byline":"Babalwa Ndlanya","competition_end_date":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","language_version_url":"","post_language":"en","video_embed_url":"","scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9647,9358,9081,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-297968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-centane","tag-eastern-cape-department-of-health","tag-healthcare","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"\nPatients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis | Kouga Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Babalwa Ndlanya\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mthatha Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0438e73731063ebed9518c43e8c0017\"},\"headline\":\"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":661,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Centane\",\"Eastern Cape Department of Health\",\"Healthcare\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis | Kouga Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic in Centane say they are being forced to sweep the waiting room themselves while waiting for medical assistance. PHOTO: Pixabay\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Kouga Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.\",\"email\":\"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"042-992 5650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0438e73731063ebed9518c43e8c0017\",\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mthatha Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/author\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis | Kouga Express","description":"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis","og_description":"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/","og_site_name":"Kouga Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Babalwa Ndlanya","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mthatha Express","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/"},"author":{"name":"Mthatha Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d0438e73731063ebed9518c43e8c0017"},"headline":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis","datePublished":"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/"},"wordCount":661,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","keywords":["Centane","Eastern Cape Department of Health","Healthcare","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/","name":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis | Kouga Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-05T08:00:58+00:00","description":"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic are forced to sweep the clinic amid a staffing crisis. Discover the shocking reality faced by patients.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Patients at Ngcizele Clinic in Centane say they are being forced to sweep the waiting room themselves while waiting for medical assistance. PHOTO: Pixabay"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-forced-to-sweep-clinic-amid-staffing-crisis\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Patients \u2018forced to sweep clinic\u2019 amid staffing crisis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","name":"Kouga Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization","name":"Kouga Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Kouga Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/"],"description":"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.","email":"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"042-992 5650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d0438e73731063ebed9518c43e8c0017","name":"Mthatha Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Mthatha Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/author\/mthathaexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/parentingupstream-stethoscope-840125-scaled-1.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":267542,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/patients-allegedly-abandoned-after-staff-flee-violent-attack-at-humansdorp-hospital\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":0},"title":"Patients allegedly abandoned after staff flee violent attack at Humansdorp Hospital","author":"Razaan Plaatjies","date":"11 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A critically ill patient from Jeffreys Bay recounted a distressing experience at Humansdorp Hospital, where patients were abandoned for hours.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The entranceway at Humansdorp Hospital.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Humansdorp-Hospital.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45264,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/residents-frustrated-with-health-care-concerns-20240313\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":1},"title":"Residents frustrated with health care concerns","author":"Kouga Express","date":"14 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Residents in Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay have been left frustrated with the wide array of challenges they face at Pellsrus Clinic and Sea Vista Clinic, including long waiting times, shortage of staff, and shortage of medication, with their compla","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/594575247a894d8bb7ebbc6217e3420c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/594575247a894d8bb7ebbc6217e3420c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/594575247a894d8bb7ebbc6217e3420c.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/594575247a894d8bb7ebbc6217e3420c.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44280,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/alleged-shortage-leaves-woman-81-without-chronic-medication-20241009\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":2},"title":"Alleged shortage leaves woman (81) without chronic medication","author":"Kouga Express","date":"10 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Dawn Van der Merwe (81) is one of the vulnerable patients severely affected by the alleged medication shortage at Pellsrus Clinic in Jeffreys Bay, having gone without essential chronic medication for two months.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/64cb2b26a276459cb350f484d4176be6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/64cb2b26a276459cb350f484d4176be6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/64cb2b26a276459cb350f484d4176be6.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/64cb2b26a276459cb350f484d4176be6.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295179,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/bhisho-hospital-evacuates-patients-following-storm-damage\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":3},"title":"Bhisho Hospital evacuates patients following storm damage","author":"PE Express","date":"19 December 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Severe storm damage has forced health officials to evacuate patients from Bhisho Hospital in the Eastern Cape.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Patients from Bhisho Hospital were evacuated to neighbouring facilities after storm damage to the building.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bhisho-hospital-e1766129167692.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bhisho-hospital-e1766129167692.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bhisho-hospital-e1766129167692.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bhisho-hospital-e1766129167692.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bhisho-hospital-e1766129167692.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56381,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/sister-jakkie-van-niekerk-puts-health-care-in-communitys-hands-20190213-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":4},"title":"Sister Jakkie van Niekerk puts health care in community\u2019s hands","author":"Kouga Express","date":"14 February 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"THE face of the Healthy Mom and Baby Clinic\u2019s mobile clinic, Sister Jakkie van Niekerk, has put her plans for retirement on hold to head up a mobile outreach programme.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7058d1f10b7b4fcdad795cf8fc763be7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7058d1f10b7b4fcdad795cf8fc763be7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7058d1f10b7b4fcdad795cf8fc763be7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7058d1f10b7b4fcdad795cf8fc763be7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":267684,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/alleged-critical-staff-shortages-cripple-humansdorp-hospital\/","url_meta":{"origin":297968,"position":5},"title":"Alleged critical staff shortages cripple Humansdorp Hospital","author":"Razaan Plaatjies","date":"18 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Humansdorp Hospital under fire again as patients sleep on floors and wait days for treatment due to staff shortages and overcrowding.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The entranceway at Humansdorp Hospital.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Humansdorp-Hospital.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Mthatha Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297968"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=297968"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=297968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}