Woman dies in eye test queue

Incident mars mobile healthcare train’s arrival

AN ELDERLY East London woman died while waiting in the queue for her eyes to be examined at the Phelophepa train eye clinic in Mdantsane yesterday.

The woman, believed to be in her early 60s, collapsed in the early hours.

She had been in the queue waiting to be attended to at the optometry services.

She was declared dead by paramedics after an ambulance and police arrived at the scene.

Train manager Lynette Flusk yesterday confirmed the death but would not comment further, referring questions to Transnet’s communications department.

Transnet’s Sibusiso Ngomane said the woman was declared dead at about 4.50am yesterday.

“The cause of death is unknown pending the postmortem.

“The company regrets the incident and extends its sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased,” said Ngomane.

The train, meant to bring health services closer to the people, arrived in Mdantsane on Sunday.

It is expected to leave on March 3 for King William’s Town and Komani.

It offers mobile healthcare through six onboard clinics – health clinic, pharmacy clinic as well as educational, dental, eye and psychology clinics.

The train spent two weeks in Port Elizabeth and a week in Mthatha.

There are two trains which travel for nine months in a year visiting four provinces each.

According to Flusk, Gauteng is the one province they do not visit because it is the smallest and has the most resources. They have 22 permanent staff members and 36 rotating students.

“On Monday we helped 294 [people] and we still have long queues. Some people have been here since Sunday and they have been sleeping here to avoid losing their places in the queue,” Flusk said.

Mdantsane residents said because healthcare services had been brought to them, they could now enjoy simple pleasures like reading the Bible.

Mdantsane resident Victoria Dweba said: “I have been here since Sunday and I now have my blood pressure medication and new glasses. “So I am very happy.” Nomhle Ntetha of NU13, who received new spectacles, said: “My eyes have been very sore. Now I will read my Bible. I am happy about that. I have also been here since Sunday.

“The Phelophepa people did not say we must sleep here but we choose to do so ourselves. There are a lot of people in Mdantsane and these young people are working very hard, very active, all working to help all of us.”

Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “Clinical operations are outside our scope.

“They refer patients to our facilities and we also assist with refuse and waste collection.

“The train usually gets student volunteers and municipal nurses.

“The train mainly assists with primary healthcare, not critically ill patients.

“I advise members of the public to take seriously ill [patients] to our facilities instead.”

Buffalo City Metro spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said they did not have nurses as all municipal nurses had been absorbed by the province in 2012. —