Patients and the nursing staff at the Freedom Square Clinic in Bloemfontein bear the brunt of worsening conditions at this primary healthcare facility of the Free State Department of Health. The implications of the situation at the clinic have resurfaced after the community took action on 23 March.
The facility, situated opposite the Toka Primary School in ward 11 of the Mangaung Metro Municipality, was shut down for the day by angry community members hoping to attract the attention of authorities of the department. The aim was for one of the many issues, the raw sewage flooding at the clinic, to be resolved.
Spillages emanated from pipes and manholes, hindering clinic staff from executing their duties.
Residents who receive services from the clinic told Express they had resolved to close the facility due to a lack of response when calling the municipality’s waste management office.
The delayed response saw sewage streaming freely down the roads and into nearby yards. Of grave concern was the fact that children played in water from the spillages.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the department, said workers of the metro unblocked the septic tank drains at the clinic at around 10:00 on 24 March.
Two mobile clinics were dispatched to ensure the continuation of services during the two days of disruption.
“The department facilitated the unblocking of the septic tank because the spillages were ongoing. Some officials decided to abandon work,” said Mvambi.
Before the sewage situation was addressed, patients – who included mothers with newborn babies – and the staff had to endure the stench.
Mavambi said the department was monitoring the situation to ensure that the provision of health services is done under acceptable hygiene conditions for both health workers and patients.
Unhappy community members have, however, described the situation at the Freedom Square Clinic as a ticking time bomb. The two wendy houses, plus the mobile facility used as additional consultation room, are in a dilapidated state.
“The floors and roofs can collapse at any time,” said one staff member, speaking on anonymous grounds.
Pinky Gositsile and Nomhle Sikoko, community members and patients, lamented the appalling conditions.
According to them, departmental compliance to practices of the Patient Rights Charter and Occupational Health and Safety, pertaining to workers, are non-existent.
“If you think the clinic staff are not affected, you are wrong,” said Sikoko.
“They are human like us, and without them we cannot survive. We resolved to fight on their behalf for the provision of quality health and conducive working conditions.”
Gositsile said it was common for patients to visit the clinic twice for medication, and for some to default on taking medication.
“The reason is a shortage of staff, and that the number of patients, young and old, multiplies. I personally default because of the long wait in extreme weather conditions.
“Imagine women with babies standing or sitting outside, waiting. When trying to use another clinic, we are sent back to the one where we reside, which is frustrating for us.”
Apart from patients in Freedom Square, the clinic assists those from Peter Swart, as well as from phase 4 to 10.
“We are overwhelmed because of staff shortages,” said a nurse who chose to remain anonymous.
“Evidence thereof is the number of patients who arrive as early 05:45 to queue. We compromise by working until 16:30 for patients’ sake.
“As frontline workers, we are expected to compromise and risk our lives to deliver quality service. The general thinking is that nurses never get ill and the conditions pose no threat to us.”
The Department of Labour has confirmed that an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) inspection was conducted at the facility on 27 March, and that the facility was found to be non-compliant with the OHS Act and regulations.
A prohibition notice was issued for the various sections of the facility.
