Durban - MOTHERS waiting for hours in the heat outside a Durban municipal clinic had their babies immunised in a mobile clinic that arrived just before midday on Tuesday.
The clinic, in uMlazi’s G section, has had no running water for the past two years. It was shut down yesterday by the community clinic committee after a meeting with the residents.
“We have shut down the clinic in an orderly fashion. We are not burning tyres, the staff is safe and we let anyone who needs help urgently into the clinic. But we will not let operations be carried out as normal until the water issue is sorted out because we are tired of waiting,” said Mzwandile Dlandla, a member of the committee.
He said city manager Sipho Nzuza had visited the clinic about a week ago and heard from residents about their water woes.
“We went to the municipal building on Old Fort Road where we wanted to see the city’s head of health, Dr Nomkhosi Gxagxisa, but she told us through her secretary that she was busy - after making us wait for at least an hour,” he said.
Mandla Nzama,the chairperson of the committee, said the clinic serviced more than three wards and the ward councillors were all aware of the issue.
“Patients relieve themselves outside, creating more of a health hazard. Staff go to the shop across the road and ask to use their toilet because of this water situation,” Nzama said.
Community member Thandi Cele said committee members used their own vehicles to help the clinic staff to collect water in buckets. “No one is paying us any mind and we are not the only ones affected,” she said.
Just 4km from this clinic, in uMlazi’s N section, is another, which has only one working toilet.
A South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) shop steward said municipal clinics in the city were “in crisis”.
Samwu provincial secretary Jaycee Ncanana said staff at the G section clinic had made him aware of the problems they faced.
“When we relay the message to the relevant authorities - and this is now the second year running - our cries fall on deaf ears.
“If we go to the head and raise this now, she will know what we are talking about, but she doesn’t listen,” he said.
Ncanana said not only did this place the lives of union members at risk, but also the lives of patients.
“The community expects there to be water at a clinic. Imagine being sick but you can’t even get a glass of water at the place where you are meant to be healed. Water is a basic human right, according to our Constitution - people’s human rights are being violated,” Ncanana said.
No response was received to a list of questions sent to the municipality regarding the matter.