Police presence and regular patrols needed at unsafe clinic

The staff at the Rosedale Clinic have made their position clear. They won’t return until it’s safe. And they are right.

This comes after another shooting took place near the clinic. This time, a stray bullet grazed a patient on July 14.

Nurses, pharmacists and doctors have not been to the clinic since last Monday.

But make no mistake, the staff are not being difficult. They are refusing to die on the job.

Despite this danger, the staff are not refusing to work. Instead, they have reported for duty at other clinics in Kariega and Gqeberha.

Meanwhile, the police insist the clinic wasn’t the target. That’s beside the point. Gunfire is gunfire. When bullets fly, it is the problem of anyone standing nearby. 

But this situation has a history.

In June, the clinic was rocked by another shooting incident, which has led to at least eight nurses submitting transfer requests.

Then in February, the clinic had to be temporarily closed after a stray bullet from a suspected gang fight struck outside the building.

Since then, cameras have been installed throughout the facility, but it has not helped.

Promises of two-hourly police patrols never materialised. The officers were meant to sign in at the clinic — but either they didn’t, or they never showed up at all.

Mobile clinics and church halls might offer short-term relief, but long-term solutions are needed.

Community member Linda Rossouw discouraged the relocation of the clinic, but she offered a better solution.

“I appeal to law enforcement to set up a mobile police station, especially in the hotspot area.

“Decentralising would mean you are running away from the problem and not bringing a solution,” she said.

She is also right. The root problem is lawlessness, and that won’t be solved by moving patients a few blocks away.

A police presence would count. Regular patrols would ensure action is being taken. That is what is needed.

The Herald