Johannesburg - Unemployed young people have prevented a new clinic in Sedibeng from opening its doors, demanding that they be considered for work opportunities at the facility.
The Star understands that the Sebokeng Zone 17 clinic was shut for several years as a result of community demands that local youth be given priority with job openings and opportunities.
MEC of Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko was at the site of the new clinic on Friday to cut the ribbon for the launch, but what should have been a joyous occasion turned into a protest by the community.
The new structure was built near the old prefabricated structured clinic.
Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) has been at the forefront of negotiating a peaceful agreement between the community and the Gauteng government to ensure that the clinic can operate without interruption.
The union’s secretary general, Lerato Mthunzi, told The Star that the situation was so bad that even the old clinic was now closed. Mthunzi said the community vowed not to allow nurses and other health-care staff to work at the old clinic until a solution to the impasse was found.
Mthunzi said through the union’s mediation efforts, there had been a commitment to guarantee some employment to a number of members of the community who would be responsible for cleaning the clinic. Some had been protesting at the clinic with their CVs, and those who had their documents at hand were able to hand over all relevant particulars to the officials from the provincial government.
“There seems to be mistrust between the provincial leadership and the community, but there have been commitments to take some workers through the EPWP programme,” she said.
Mthunzi said the community had also complained that the new clinic did not have a name. They wanted it to be named after an icon from the community. The community had no problem with professional staff such as doctors and nurses coming from other communities but was asking for general work to be given to locals.
“The community was clear; they are saying that they are not interfering with how the health-care workers are recruited. Some of the nurses are members of the community. This is something done at a central office. Their issues are more at the level of support staff.
“On Friday, when we got there, there was a community meeting in the afternoon, and there was an agreement that the clinic would not be opened until the premier and MEC came and briefed us. There were also all sorts of police, and the streets were closed. The gate was down, and there were rubber bullets everywhere. This could have been prevented,” she said.
Mthunzi said the impasse was affecting patients from the area who would normally fetch their chronic medication from the clinic.
“They have to be diverted to a nearby clinic. There are a few clinics around, but they are not within walking distance. But what is most hurtful is that there is another facility that is not working.
“Their issues were with service delivery. What is evident is the politicians are corrupt in such a manner that they have lost their conscience,” she said.
In a statement, the MEC said that while the genuine issues raised by the community needed to be addressed, there was no reason why those concerns should be used to deny others access to much-needed health services.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said that for a long time, patients at the Sebokeng Zone 17 Clinic have complained that the old building needed to be upgraded.
“We are going to ensure the issues being raised are responded to. The issues of road infrastructure, unemployment, housing, and access to health services are on our agenda. What we will not allow is the destruction of public amenities or disruption of service,” she said.
The Star