By Khumo Makame
The Northern Cape MEC for Health, Nontobeko Vilakazi, apologised to Galeshewe residents after they were left without access to critical healthcare services on Wednesday, 29 April, following a staff strike at Mapule Matsepane Clinic in Dinokwane Street.
Patients and community health workers arrived to find only one auxiliary healthcare worker, resulting in everyone being sent home.
Clinical services at the facility were thus unavailable for the day, affecting patients seeking routine care and those dependent on chronic medication.
Services only resumed on Thursday, 30 April, after the department intervened by sending 3 nurses to deal with the backlog.
According to a source, the clinic normally consists of four permanent staff members and one auxiliary healthcare worker.
One of the staff members reportedly went on pension, while one is on leave.
The remaining 2 did not report for duty on that morning, resulting in the disruption of services.
The department noted the serious impact on patients, particularly those reliant on chronic medication and ongoing care.
The departmental spokesperson, Mandisa Mereyotlhe, assured that additional nursing and pharmaceutical support has been put in place to ensure smooth operations and to assist patients who missed their medication collections on the day.
“Clinics such as Mapule Matsepane serve large communities and are often the first point of access to healthcare, placing strain on limited resources, staff, and infrastructure. Temporary disruptions, even for a single day, can significantly affect vulnerable patients,” said Mereyotlhe.
The disruptions happened as the majority of CHWs remain uncertain of their fate regarding their permanent absorption within the system.
They were planning a tool down on Wednesday, but made a U-turn after consultation with the unions.
Reports are that a meeting was called at the City Hall in Kimberley for all CHWs.
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