Poor road conditions in most rural villages around Thaba Nchu in the Free State province are still hindering access to healthcare services, with citizens unable to reach clinics in rainy weather, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) heard. The problem was discovered last year during the Taking Parliament to the People programme when the NCOP conducted oversight on the provision of health care services in the province’s Mangaung and Xhariep district municipalities.

During a visit this week to a number of clinics in the Thaba Nchu area, in Mangaung, to follow up and report back on the recommendations made since the discovery of the challenges in August last year (during Taking Parliament to the People), NCOP members were very disappointed about the lack of progress.

Yesterday, one of the eight groups of the multidisciplinary delegation of NCOP members, MPLs and councillors visited Kgalala, Seadimo and Mafane clinics in the Thaba Nchu area. The first stop was Kgalala clinic, where the delegation was expecting to see progress since the visit in August last year. However, members were left disappointed when department officials failed to explain why there has not been any improvement.

Clinic manager Mr Simon Maibi told the delegation that when it rains heavily most clinics in the villages become inaccessible because of bad roads and flooding of low lying bridges. “Our clinics and schools in this area become inaccessible when it rains in this area. Our nurses cannot come to work. It is only one nurse who lives close to the clinic who comes to work,” he said.

This also results in delays in the collection of specimens for laboratory testing used to confirm diagnoses, which interrupts the treatment of patients.

The challenges at Seadimo are similar, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, faulty plumbing, no backup generator and the small size of the facility being the main problems. Seadimo clinic was built by the community in 1987 and the aging structure requires serious renovations.

Delegation co-leaders Mr Eddie Makue and Mr Gladys Oliphant could not hide their disappointment about the lack of progress in the implementation of the NCOP recommendations. “It is like we are working backwards. We were here last year when we identified these challenges. We are here today and nothing has been done,” said Ms Oliphant.

Mr Makue said they were disappointed that there has not been any progress since the NCOP left in August last year. “In most of the clinics there is no progress at all. There is one where the nurses cannot even open the door. It is so bad, the whole structure could fall on everyone,” said Mr Makue.

The NCOP delegation advised the Free State Provincial Department of Health and Public Works to work together to find solutions to the problem of access roads to clinics.

Sakhile Mokoena
30 August 2018