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Nurses stop work after finding human waste at clinic door

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Since the beginning of the year there has been no wall or fence around the Mabandla Clinic in Kariega.

Mabandla Clinic in Kariega was closed for the second day on Tuesday as nurses refused to work after finding human waste at the door and empty bottles of alcohol strewn around the yard. The fencing around the clinic was stolen at the beginning of the year and despite promises, it has not been replaced by the provincial Department of Health.

“We can’t work in this environment,” one of the nurses told patients who had gathered at the entrance. “There are faeces all over the back entrance since yesterday morning. There are empty bottles of alcohol in the yard.”

The nurses locked the door and asked the patients to take up the issue with the Department of Health.

The nurses said they told gardeners from the Community Works Programme (CWP) not to remove the faeces at the back entrance as it should serve as evidence.

After the fence was stolen, nurses stopped work at the busy clinic in January, citing security concerns. They returned to work when residents offered to act as guards on a rotational basis. The clinic serves about 500 patients daily.

At the time, Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo told GroundUp that replacing the fence was a top priority. “Emergency procurement processes have already ensued to ensure urgent installation of proper boundary fencing,” he said.

Construction of a wall was started, but has not been completed. Bricks are still lying around the yard, which is used as a thoroughfare by people going from one street to another. There is no gate.

Ward 45 Councillor Sabelo Mabuda (ANC) told GroundUp the construction of the clinic wall had stalled since February.

“This problem emanates from the theft of the fence last year. Nurses and leaders and the district office of the Department of Health decided that a wall must be built.

“The Department of Health promised to put in a gate, and a construction company was introduced in January. However, the material was not delivered several times and the work has been sporadic. We were promised that the construction of the wall would be completed within four weeks … but it hasn’t,” he said.

Kupelo said on Tuesday that the district manager was dealing with the matter. “A meeting was held with the Councillor and the infrastructure office.”

“The matter is receiving urgent attention,” he said.

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