RESIDENTS and patients seeking help at the Weltevreden Valley Clinic in Samora Machel, Western Cape are annoyed by nurses and staff being late for work.
They claimed that they go to the clinic early in the morning, but the nurses arrive late and drink tea before attending to them.
A resident said: "We come to the clinic because we are sick, and we don't expect the nurses and other staff to be late. Even when they arrive, you can’t tell them that they need to look after the patients urgently, some of them drink tea first. This shows that they don't care about our well-being."
A staff member who spoke to the SunTeam claimed that they were late because they couldn't enter the hospital without a police escort as they were being allegedly chased by criminals.
MMC for Community Service and Health Patricia van der Ross said that Weltevreden Clinic is located in an area with a high crime rate.
"In the past, the clinic has had several security-related incidents where employees have been assaulted both on the way to the clinic and inside the clinic. Last month, two incidents were reported where drivers were attacked and a city vehicle was hijacked, leaving the staff traumatised. The City of Cape Town has decided that law enforcement officers will escort staff working in the red zones in and out of these areas," Van der Ross said.
She said the delivery of services to the community and the safety of their staff will continue to be prioritised. Van der Ross said the clinic will open at 8.30am.
"Residents are asked to report any criminal activity by calling the city’s emergency call centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone and 107 from a landline phone," Van der Ross said.
