Another pupil dies after visit to clinic
Tragedy on day pupils protest over peer’s death
ANOTHER school pupil has died just hours after visiting a Port Elizabeth clinic. Yonela Nqokoto, 18, died on the back of a bakkie while on her way to the Booysen Park clinic for the second time yesterday.
Earlier in the day, Yonela had visited the clinic with a cough. She was examined by nurses but not given medication before being sent home at about noon, according to her mother.
However, health officials say she absconded from the clinic.
When her siblings saw how ill she was soon after arriving home, they insisted she return to the clinic and asked a neighbour to transport her in his bakkie.
But the Zanolwazi Senior Secondary School Grade 9 pupil died on the vehicle.
Her death happened just a few streets away from where Sandiswa Thunyiswa had to give birth to her son on the pavement after she was sent home by a nurse at the same clinic, who insisted she was not in labour.
Meanwhile, schoolchildren protested yesterday outside a clinic in Kwazakhele where Siyabonga Jim, 20, died last week.
TB sufferer Jim collapsed and died while walking home after he was turned away from the Lunga Kobese clinic on Thursday.
There were no nurses available as they had all called in sick following an alleged verbal spat with a patient the previous day.
Yonela’s mother, Ntombizodwa Nqokoto, 57, said they had both visited the clinic yesterday morning, with Yonela having a cough.
“She had been coughing for some time and told me about coming to the clinic before, so today [yesterday] I asked her to come with me so we could find out what exactly was wrong with her.”
Nqokoto said Yonela wanted to leave after she was scolded by a nurse as she had not taken a “green card” which indicates a priority patient.
“I convinced her to stay until she had seen a nurse, which she did.
“The nurse came back to me to tell me they had done all the necessary tests and that I should bring her back on Friday,” Nqokoto said. “I asked her [Yonela] to stay [with me] but she insisted on leaving and she walked home.”
Nqokoto waited for her own consultation.
“In less than an hour one of my younger children came in telling me Yonela had got worse,” she said.
“I don’t understand. None of this makes sense because she seemed fine and able to walk.”
Nqokoto said Yonela’s father had died in December after being diagnosed with TB.
A resident who watched the drama unfold, and identified herself only as Nomlindelo, said nurses at the clinic were most of the time overwhelmed with cases as they were understaffed.
“The nurses treat us well but you can see sometimes that they are struggling to handle the large numbers of people coming through.
“For example, when an emergency case comes in they have to drop one patient and attend to that emergency case,” Nomlindelo said.
Nurses directed all queries to the Department of Health.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “It appears that the patient absconded and we cannot take responsibility as all protocols were followed in attending to this patient.
“Tests were completed but she absconded from the clinic. The department is satisfied all protocols were followed in managing this patient.”
Kupelo, however, said they were worried about the frequent complaints of alleged bad treatment from nurses and the community.
“There seem to be tensions between staff and the community.
“Nurses’ cars are broken into, emergency staff are robbed at gunpoint and clinics are broken into. Clinics are
‘ One of my children came in telling me Yonela had got worse
primary healthcare facilities and it seems as though they are under threat, which worries us.”
Asked about the nurses who had allegedly called in sick at the Lunga Kobese clinic, Kupelo said: “The investigation of the reasons for the staff’s absence is still in process.
“The clinic had been functioning since Friday with borrowed staff.”
He did not respond to questions about the pavement birth.
Pupils demonstrating outside the Lunga Kobese clinic burnt tyres, threw rocks and damaged some staff cars.
A former classmate of Jim’s said their group of friends was no longer the same without Jim, who had always been the joker of the group.
“We want justice for our friend. We believe he would’ve been fine, or ended up in hospital, if this useless clinic was open,” the pupil said.
“This clinic is useless – they must just close it down.”
While pupils were demonstrating, Jim’s father, Marcus Jim, was in a meeting with a Department of Health official seeking answers on the death of his son.
Kwazakhele High School head of department Vusumzi Lukwe said they were surprised when they heard reports that pupils had staged a protest at the clinic. “We were unaware of this protest. “Many of the pupils were not writing exams and came to school to find out more about the memorial service,” Lukwe said.
Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said the Public Order Police Unit (POPS) was called in to disperse the crowd.
“A crowd of angry residents blocked Dumile Street in front of the clinic with burning tyres and threw stones at the clinic as well as at staff members’ vehicles,” he said.
“A Mercedes-Benz’s front window was damaged. New Brighton police responding to the incident were pelted with stones, damaging the front window of a police minibus.”