Visiting one of the many primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in Gauteng highlights the significant impact of the ANC's healthcare policies, whether positive or negative and how the ANC's ‘democracy’ has eroded the fabric of South African society.
But let’s talk in facts, not political rhetoric.
Recently, I visited Mogale City’s Noordheuwel Clinic. It is one of the most loved and cared-for environments in the Gauteng Department of Health’s facilities.
However, it is being hindered by three main factors: staff, space, and budget — all hallmarks of an ANC government destroyed by corruption, a lack of foresight, and an unwillingness to enter private-public partnerships for nursing training. This reluctance has contributed to the severe nursing shortages hamstringing our healthcare industry.
Noordheuwel Clinic was originally designed as a Preventative Day Clinic, where 15 to 20 patients per day would be seen for the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme.
Today, the number of patients has increased, reaching between 40 and 50 per day. However, the space constraints and the staffing levels at the facility have not changed.
The team consists of a clinic manager, two nurses, a doctor, an administrative clerk, and one cleaner.
There is no pharmacist or phlebotomist available to draw blood, and no backup staff or locums readily accessible. Perhaps that is a blessing, as there is no place to accommodate them if they were on site.
The reception area, where patients check in, is small. It can accommodate about 30 people (at a stretch). To the right is the clinic manager’s office. It contains a desk and chair donated by a member of the public, along with her computer.
She relies on a desk-based system, causing her to stay in the clinic long after closure to complete outstanding administrative tasks.
On the day of our visit, the clinic manager was alone. Neither of the other sisters was at work. She was the clinic manager and sister on call, the sole provider of patient care besides the doctor already seeing patients in his office, which resembles a jail cell.
The receptionist called her to announce we were there, and much like when she arrived at Noordheuwel in June, all work had to grind to a halt as she came to meet us. The patients were not happy.
Many had been waiting outside for hours despite having an appointment. Routine vital checks, urine tests, and prescription processing can take about 40 minutes per patient. When there are 30 patients to see and the clinic manager is alone, the queue builds up because of the shortage of staff members.
I asked about the other staff, the two nursing sisters who were supposed to be there to help. Well, one had not pitched up, and the other was on leave.
the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has yet to respond to her request for a replacement. This is reminiscent of when she joined in June. She told me that it took them four months to secure a second nurse.
For four months, two people were running a clinic while so many qualified people were out of work in Gauteng.
I want to emphasise that this clinic has the potential to be a remarkable asset for Mogale City, but it needs better equipment and staffing. The facility is clean but dilapidated. The staff’s commitment is evident and shines through in every interaction with their patients.
The ladies’ ablution facility has a toilet that is constantly running, and there is also a tap outside the building that drips continuously. Both issues have been reported multiple times but remain unresolved.
Additionally, the large JoJo tank outside is full of water; however, the motor is not functioning. This tank could be a lifesaver when the clinic and surrounding area experience water shortages that last up to 10 days. Unfortunately, it serves as a grim reminder of how little the GDoH cares about the clinic and its patients.
There are two consulting rooms, one emergency room, and one doctor’s consulting room. When I arrived, the doctor had a person in his consulting room, and one of the other consultation rooms had a patient on a drip.
Furthermore, the pharmacy is a small but well-organised area, crowded with boxes of pills, tablets, and consumables crammed into any available space.
There is no proper storage area. Patient files are stored wherever there is space, even if that space is on top of the clinic generator. he cleaning materials are in an area the size of a broom cupboard alongside four oxygen tanks.
If one of those bottles of flammable chemicals were to fall over and knock into an oxygen tank, I don’t want to think about the consequences.
The most tragic aspect of the story is that there is enough space to place two or three additional containers next to the clinic building. The availability of space and staff would allow patients visiting for the CCMDD programme to be seen in one area, relieving the tension and pressure on the main building.
Furthermore, files could be stored and retrieved as needed, enabling clerical work to be in a separate area during work hours.
The DA will engage the MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, to demand regular maintenance of Gauteng Primary Healthcare Clinics.
Furthermore, we shall persist in applying pressure on her department to ensure the filling of all vacancies within our clinics to prevent overworking of staff members and delivery of inferior health services.
The ANC government has proven beyond doubt that it has no clue on how to effectively manage primary healthcare clinics, leaving the future of those relying on their services in jeopardy.
Only a DA government can resolve infrastructure decay and inadequacies in Gauteng’s healthcare system. Our successful management of the Western Cape Health Department speaks for itself.
We are committed to bringing this DA difference to Gauteng residents who have endured a failing healthcare system under ANC oversight.
Madeleine Hicklin MPL, DA Gauteng Spokesperson of Health.
The Star