Rédaction Africa Links 24 with sabcnews.com
Published on 2024-02-02 10:51:10
Residents of Gong Gong, a small community located near Barkly West in the Northern Cape, are facing a severe lack of access to primary healthcare services. The local clinic, which serves approximately 600 households, is only staffed by one nurse and is open for limited hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This leaves residents in need of medical attention outside of those hours with no choice but to travel around 15 kilometers to Barkly West to access healthcare services.
Margaret Heyns, an 82-year-old resident who requires medication for low blood pressure, expressed her frustration with the limited clinic hours, stating that it is costly for her to travel to Barkly West when the clinic is closed. She emphasized the need for the clinic to be open more frequently, as illness can strike at any time and access to healthcare should not be restricted to certain days of the week.
The lack of adequate healthcare services has also impacted other community members, such as Muriel Job, who highlighted the challenges faced during the December holidays when the clinic was closed. This left residents with no access to healthcare services during a time when medical needs can be heightened.
In addition to the shortage of medical staff and limited opening hours, the clinic faces issues with water supply, as it relies on borehole water stored in tanks. When there is no electricity, the water cannot be pumped from the borehole, leaving the clinic without water. This has led to further dissatisfaction and concerns among the residents, who feel that their basic healthcare needs are not being met.
The community members expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, with one resident, John Carvella, describing it as a “big crisis” and stating that the healthcare system is failing them. Another resident, Matthews Phokoje, highlighted the challenges of medication storage and the lack of access to refrigeration due to the absence of electricity, emphasizing the impact on the community’s health and well-being.
In response to these concerns, the provincial health department spokesperson, Lulu Mxekezo, acknowledged the challenges faced by the community and stated that the department is working to address the issues. This includes recruiting an additional nurse and repairing infrastructure to improve the clinic’s functioning. However, Mxekezo did not provide a timeline for these changes, leaving the community members uncertain about when they can expect improvements to their healthcare services.
Overall, the residents of Gong Gong are advocating for the clinic to be open five days a week to ensure that they have proper access to healthcare services. They emphasize the importance of reliable and accessible healthcare, especially in a rural community where access to medical facilities is limited. The current situation highlights the disparities and challenges faced by underserved communities in accessing essential healthcare services.
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