Elliotdale, Eastern Cape — Residents of Mpame village near Elliotdale have issued an urgent appeal to the Provincial Department of Health over the deteriorating condition of their local clinic, citing infrastructure damage from 2024 heavy rains, critical medicine shortages, and severe staff constraints.
Community members report that the clinic’s roof was damaged during severe weather events in 2024, leading to falling ceilings and worsening structural conditions. “The clinic is dilapidated. The ceiling inside is falling because the roof is damaged,” one resident stated, adding that the situation has deteriorated significantly since the initial damage occurred.
Compounding the infrastructure crisis, residents highlighted a persistent lack of running water at the facility. When taps run dry, clinical operations are reportedly halted. The sole nurse assigned to the clinic is described as overworked and forced to fetch water from an outdoor tap to continue basic duties. “There are no nurses here. Even the one nurse that is here is overwork because there are a lot of people that come here,” a community member explained. “He gets tired. He doesn’t even have water.”
Residents also raised concerns about medicine shortages and the risk to patient safety, with one individual noting that people sometimes leave the clinic without receiving adequate care. “You go back home in the same condition, you can die in this clinic,” they said.
In response to these concerns, a Department of Health spokesperson confirmed that the department has completed a technical assessment of the Mpame Clinic and developed a comprehensive scope of work to address infrastructure deficiencies. Proposed interventions include replacing damaged roofs across all buildings, repairing ceilings, doors, windows, and gutters, replacing perimeter fencing and gates, clearing vegetation, and undertaking other essential maintenance to restore the facility.
The spokesperson noted that implementation timelines would be guided by procurement processes and budget allocation requirements. Regarding reports of medicine shortages, the department stated it is still investigating the matter at the facility.
Residents continue to call for accelerated action, emphasizing that the current conditions pose a direct risk to community health and safety. The Department of Health has not provided a specific date for when repairs or additional staffing resources will be deployed to the Mpame Clinic.
