By Everson Luhanga
Blocked toilets, dirty surroundings, dirty linen, and rude staff that leave patients unattended are only some of the issues Alexandra’s local Masakhane Clinic is facing.
Patients complain that it’s been near impossible to get medical attention at the clinic for the past months.
It took a brave community member who came to the clinic and took a video which was sent to a local WhatsApp group to alert the authorities.
The video showed poor conditions at the clinic and highlighted issues on how health officials treat patients.
The chat group has high-profile provincial government officials and other people in authority among its members.
The video landed in the office of Gauteng MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko — and she visited the clinic on Thursday, guns blazing, lambasting staff at the clinic.
“I am not proud as the head of the provincial department of health,” she said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said the staff who work at the clinic must be ashamed.
“You must also be ashamed of yourself to come here every day to say you’re coming to work. You don’t care.
“I hate you because you make us an embarrassment. You make us a laughing stock. You treat the people of Alexandra like dirt.”
After Nkomo-Ralehoko addressed the staff and community members who swarmed into the clinic, a nurse told the MEC that some staff members come to the clinic carrying alcohol and drink while on duty. Some come to work already drunk while others don’t even pitch for work.
“I won’t hide anything. I am working here. People indeed drink on duty even the facility manager knows that there are staff that drink on duty,” said the nurse.
“Some are always absent from work and it looks normal for them and they don’t care.”
The staff’s unprofessional conduct allegedly led to the death of two patients who couldn’t be helped in time after visiting the clinic on Sunday.
Scrolla.Africa spoke to parent Jordan Makhaya who lost his nine-year-old daughter Johanna Makhaya while inside the clinic. The child had touched a live wire at home and been severely shocked. Makhaya said he could see there were nurses on duty at the clinic but they were not attending to patients, and after waiting an hour for help that did not come, his daughter passed away.
Makhaya told Scrolla.Africa that while waiting for his daughter to be helped he also witnessed a man die while waiting to be attended to by health officials at the clinic after being involved in a car accident.
Pictured above: Gauteng Department of Health Officials visited Alexandra’s Masakhane Clinic on Thursday
Image source: Malesela Mangena
