Cape Town – Two months have passed since the provincial Health Department closed the Hout Bay Community Day Centre following unrest in the fishing village of Hangberg.
The department, citing concern for the safety of its employees, opened a facility at 30 Victoria Street to provide basic health services as an interim solution to the centre’s closure.
The Hout Bay Main Road Clinic in Imizamo Yethu has taken on some of the closed centre’s responsibilities.
Members of the Hangberg
Seniors Club, at their weekly gathering, expressed their frustration over the closure of the centre.
Rachel van Rooyen, 94, is one of the oldest members of the club.
She said whoever made the decision to close the Hout Bay Community Day Centre had very little or no insight into the plight of the elderly.
“I need different pills - for my heart, for my blood pressure, for
diabetes and for pain. Having the clinic within walking distance was convenient,” she said.
“Health workers used to bring the medication to us here at the community hall every Wednesday, but today, as you can see, there is no one, and next month I will need my next batch of pills.”
Van Rooyen said she remembered that protests in the area in 2009 and 2010 were worse than the recent
protests, which the department
reasoned were serious enough to warrant closing the centre.
Clara le Roux, 77, has lived in Hangberg since the age of 7.
As a toddler she suffered from Bell’s palsy, which has left the muscles on the right side of her face paralysed.
“I can’t read or write, but I know that I have to get my insulin, water and high blood pressure medication, and my two types of heart medication. It’s very awkward now to get medical help when you feel sick
“ We used to be able to walk up the street, but now we have to go into the dorp. For young people it’s easy, but for people our age it’s difficult. Look at me, ek’s klaar (I’m finished),” she said.
Le Roux agreed with Van Rooyen that the recent protests were not as violent as those in the past.
Hangberg Seniors Club chairperson Rosaline du Preez, 72, said neither staff from the provincial Health Department nor the ward councillor had come to the community since the closure to hear of their difficulties or provide answers as to how their plight would be addressed in the future.
Florence Kroukamp, a member of the Hout Bay Health Forum, said there was no long-term health strategy in place for residents, only plans for a new day clinic that was supposed to have been built in 2017.
Kroukamp said the Victoria Street facility could only provide health
services to 30 people a day.
Ward councillor Roberto Quintas said provincial government staff had, in earlier engagements, warned Hangberg residents that violence could result in the closure of the facility.
He said he did not have the authority to reopen the clinic.
The Western Cape Health Department was unable to provide comment yesterday, and said it would do so today.