Promised Jeppe Clinic renovations haven’t even started yet
JEPPE Clinic will not be re-opening next month as was promised.
This government health facility was shut down by the Gauteng Department of Health over Easter due to shoddy conditions and for safety reasons.
This was after Health-e News reported on the facility’s leaking roof, mouldy walls and generally unhealthy conditions.
The clinic was closed for five months for renovations and was supposed to re-open at the end of this month.
However, with little more than three weeks to go, it turns out that the renovations have not yet started.
While the work commissioned should have been almost complete, it turns out that contractors have not done anything.
Now the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has pledged to take action against the officials and contractors who have failed to do their jobs.
Earlier this year the Gauteng Department of Health MEC, Gwen Ramokgopa said the clinic would be closed until October 1.
The clinic shut-down has been a serious inconvenience for about 2 500 patients a month who now have to go to the Hillbrow Community Health Centre to receive medical attention.
Mamabolo said the refurbishing of the clinic would cost R396 000, and should have been finished by the end of this month.
When he was informed by Health-e News that the refurbishing had not yet started, he responded angrily, saying that he would check on who was not doing their job.
“I started yesterday to suspend officials and contractors who are not doing their jobs,” Mamabolo said, adding that he planned to take action against every single person at fault.
“As government, we must be accountable and we must not be used as an outlet for poor performance, poor quality, corruption and waste.
“We must ensure that every cent entrusted to us is spent in the most responsible, ethical and accountable manner,” he said.
Asked when the renovations were likely to start and when the clinic would re-open, Mamabolo said an investigation into what went wrong was under way.
He said an announcement on when the renovations would start and the clinic would re-open would be made only after investigations had been done and a finding made.
“At this point there will be no speculation on the next steps,” Mamabolo said. – Health-e News
Shut-down has been a serious inconvenience