Clinic patients fret over medicine

PATIENTS who were referred to surrounding health facilities for medical treatment after a fire destroyed a large part of the Galeshewe Day Hospital clinic, are worried that their medicine supplies may run dry.

Patients, who travelled with their babies and children, stated that they had begun queueing at the clinics at around 6am yesterday morning.

“I suffer from diabetes and I am concerned that after waiting for most of the day to get to the front of the queue, my chronic medication may be out of stock.

“My supplies are finished and I cannot go home without it,” one patient stated.

Patients were also distressed that without their patient files, which were destroyed in the fire, the other clinics would not have a record of their medical history and list of medications.

Some of the clinics meanwhile reported yesterday that they were already understaffed, even though clinic staff from the Galeshewe Day Hospital clinic had been transferred to the surrounding clinics to assist patients.

The Department of Health did not respond to media enquiries, including who would be awarded the contract to repair the Galeshewe Day Hospital clinic and the extent of the damages, where it had stated that the cost of repairs would be in the region of R16 million.

It also did not indicate whether there were sufficient stocks of medication.