There is a small red building surrounded by a vegetable garden in extension nine. It has cracks in its ceiling and walls and the geyser drips water. In summer it gets invaded by ticks and in winter the tiled floor is cold to the touch.
There is a small red building surrounded by a vegetable garden in extension nine. It has cracks in its ceiling and walls and the geyser drips water. In summer it gets invaded by ticks and in winter the tiled floor is cold to the touch.
This small building is a tuberculosis clinic and is the only one in its area. Unfortunately, anyone hoping to receive any other form of treatment must either walk or spend what little money they have on a taxi fare to get to the overcrowded Joza Clinic 5km away.
For volunteer operator of the clinic Gcobisa Gumenge, this is a troubling situation. She wants the clinic to be open every day to serve the endless, desperate patients that arrive at the clinic for help. Despite Gumenge’s wishes the municipality says they cannot provide the additional staff to turn this facility into a general clinic.
But whilst there are issues preventing its upgrade, the cracks on the doorway and leaky pipes remain a concern. The cracks pose a safety risk to the patients and the pipes outside drip water endlessly into the foundations.
Gumenge says that the municipality had visited the site a several months ago to assess the state of the facility. After promising to repair the cracks in the roof and the leaky geyser, the municipality has still done nothing to fix the damaged structure. The municipal spokesperson refused to comment on the issue.
But for Extension 8 and 9 residents, some of whom have chronic TB problems, this clinic is all they have. Gumenge explains the clinic’s operation times, explaining how busy it gets. She is concerned for the stream of patients that visit here week in and week out. In the garden, local community members have planted and continue to manage their vegetables.
This community, and many others like, depend on clinics like these for advice, treatment, and in this case, somewhere to grow a food source.
While the service for TB patients seems to hanging on, if only by its finger tips, the question of adequate health provision in this area remains questionable.
