Cape Town - Cape Town patients are having to queue from as early as 2am to see a dentist - and even then some are turned away.
The Gugulethu community dental clinic is the only one of its kind in the area, drawing patients from Philippi, Browns Farm, Nyanga, New and Old Crossroads, KTC and Tambo Village.
During a Cape Argus visit to the clinic late last week, about 40 patients who had joined the queue as early as 2am were turned away after the day’s quota of 30 patients had been met.
People are turned away so regularly that desperate patients hold “night vigils” outside the clinic to be first in line when it opens in the mornings. Those who can’t join the night queues say they have to pay informal “queue marshals” to camp out on their behalf at a cost of at least R30 a night.
Mothers say their children cry all night with toothache after being turned away from the clinic. One elderly woman, close to tears after being turned away, told the Cape Argus: “I’m in so much pain.”
Nokwakha Lufele, 65, who arrived at the clinic before 6am, said: “I was hoping to have my two teeth extracted. Unfortunately, I can’t come so early as it is not safe to come to the clinic at that time of the day.”
Patients said the receptionist took people on a first come, first served basis without checking how sick patients were. They said no preference was given to children or the elderly, as is the case in other government health clinics.
Patients complained there was only one qualified dentist assisted by “a few” medical students. Provincial Health Department spokeswoman Faiza Steyn confirmed the clinic could see only 30 patients a day as it had a limited number of dental instruments, which need to be sterilised for up to two hours.
“No person with acute abscess pain, which is an emergency, is turned away. Every procedure involves an injection, and the facility has limited instrumentation,” she said.
Nosakhumzi Bengu from Crossroads brought in her three-year-old daughter Kwakho, who had a swollen face. They were turned away for the third time.
Bengu said: “The quotas have become so ridiculous now. The last time I was here I begged nurses to allow my daughter be seen by a doctor. I was told that the quota had been reached and there was nothing they could do.”
When she asked if Kwakho could be referred to Red Cross Hospital she was told she needed to be seen by the clinic dentist first.
Bengu said: “I’m so frustrated by the system I wanted to give up, but I don’t have many options. Kwakho is in so much pain - she cries the whole night, but I can’t afford a private dentist. I also can’t spend the night here, as others do, as I have a small child. I guess I will keep on coming back here until she is seen.”
Pulane Zuza Gugulethu, who brought her children Likhona, 8, and Yamkela, 9, to the clinic, said that despite having a letter from the school that requested medical treatment for them she was still not attended to.
“On Monday they were late for school because we first had to come here, but we didn’t make it. Today I came with a letter from the principal thinking it would make a difference, but the guy wouldn’t even look at it… he just let in those who came first. They don’t seem… to prioritise school children at all.”
Steyn confirmed the clinic had just one dentist who worked with final year dentistry students on Mondays and Fridays. She denied claims the elderly and pupils were not prioritised.
“Elderly people are accommodated and given special priority.
“A toothache is not treated as an emergency; which most scholars visit the facility for.”
Cape Argus