Irate Motherwell patients battling to access services at a clinic in the area staged a protest outside the facility on Wednesday.
Residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay township claimed that the Kamvelihle Clinic had only had one nurse on duty since Monday, resulting in long waiting periods for patients — if they were fortunate enough to be attended to at all.
They alleged there was a staff shortage at the clinic.
Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa’s spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, said the department was aware of the protest but denied there was a staff shortage at the facility.
Union Nehawu has been alerted to the problems reported by patients of the clinic and has vowed to take the issue up through its Public Service Delivery Campaign, which is scheduled to run in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman district from October 13-17.
Nehawu’s Eastern Cape secretary, Mlungiseleli Ncapayi, said the campaign would focus on bringing the concerns of residents to the attention of the relevant authorities and holding the management of public healthcare facilities to account.
“We were in Gqeberha on Wednesday, we are on the ground mobilising workers.
“Next week, the whole union, including our national office-bearers, will be in Gqeberha from Monday to Friday,” Ncapayi said.
“To attend to all these challenges of shortages of medicine, equipment [and] buildings needing to be compliant in terms of safety and security for both the patients ... as well as the workers.
“We will go to the clinics, hospitals to check what are their problems, then move on to hold management accountable.
“The Public Service Delivery Campaign is trying to work with communities to resolve the gaps in service delivery,” Ncapayi said.
In November 2021, The Herald reported on patients’ complaints that just one nurse was on duty at the Kamvelihle Clinic.
On Wednesday, Ward 23 councillor Zwelandile Tsotso said he had received similar complaints about the facility since 2023.
“I have tried to intervene when I was called by the committee to the clinic several times to address this issue to the point that I was told that it was not a municipal institute, I was a guest.
“The main challenge has been [staff who are on] sick leave.
“With the shortage of nurses, I also had to help. This year, a child was burnt in August, that child was never helped [at the clinic].
“I took the child ... to hospital, that child died after a week.
“On Tuesday, we were discussing [about] writing a letter to the district as well as the clinic, because this matter is getting too much.
“There has been someone who complained that they were turned back from the clinic on Monday and Tuesday due to there being [only] one nurse,” Tsotso said.
However, the department said the Kamvelihle Clinic had an acting operational manager, four professional nurses and two enrolled nursing assistants.
Mavovana said a professional nurse at the facility had retired in July, and steps to fill the vacancy were being taken.
She said the clinic operated on a booking system to manage the high patient load efficiently and ensure that all patients received quality service.
“It is not correct that only one nurse has been on duty since Monday. On October 6, three professional nurses were on duty and services were provided as scheduled.
“The department continuously monitors staffing levels across all facilities to ensure equitable distribution of personnel.
“Challenges related to attrition and budget constraints are being managed through targeted recruitment and the use of outreach support teams.
“Please be reminded that the nurse-patient ratio is 35. Employees across the department are entitled to leave, including sick leave.
“There is no indication of co-ordinated or simultaneous absenteeism specific to this facility.”
Mavovana said services were continuing at the clinic.
The Herald
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