A dignified sheltered area is needed for the sick, elderly and disabled queuing for service outside the Pelican Park Community clinic.
This according to PR councillor Shireen August, after a motion for an enclosed area to be built was rejected by the subcouncil 18 on Thursday 17 August.
She said the area was not suitable for the elderly, sick, disabled and young babies to wait, especially during inclement weather.
In a motion, August recommended a dignified and suitable waiting area be erected.
“I am asking for people to not sit outside, there is a big enough space inside the clinic to sit and there is a warm space, but residents are sent to sit outside on the cold pavement.
“People are sitting outside the gate, what looks like a bus stop, it is a cold cement seating area. Today (Friday 18 August) I paid another visit to the clinic and there were many residents waiting out on the cold pavement while there is a large waiting area inside the clinic.”
August added the system was not correct and residents were often referred to a day hospital on 11th Avenue, Steenberg.
“People are sent away when they don’t have an appointment and being turned away even if they are sick. This is not conducive.
“Although there is a huge waiting area inside the clinic, there are only one or two people sitting there. Residents queuing outside should be placed in the waiting area or they must create an enclosed area. You simply cannot let residents sit on the pavement.”
Meanwhile, responding to why the motion was denied, Ward 67 councillor Gerry Gordon, who is a member of the subcouncil, said: “The Pelican Park community clinic is not a day hospital, it is a digital clinic and they work by appointment. The specific area in the motion cannot be upgraded.
“I explained that anecdotal evidence shows the people waiting outside are unbooked patients. Those who have an appointment date would go inside but the clinic also takes a few from outside.”
She added that often there are long queues outside the clinic gates before operating hours.
“People are there before 07:30 and before the clinic gate opens and people will not be helped in a rush, so they will wait,” Gordon said. “Councillor August does not know the processes. I have been here since the time the clinic was erected in September 2018.”
She added there are, however, plans to renovate the front of the clinic.
“We are looking at how we can renovate the front of the clinic. Councillor August does not know the process of the clinic.
“She is trying to score political points and has never conferred with me and if she had asked me I would have explained this before.
“She is not willing to understand the process and moving forward we will have lots of our clinics digitised so you can have a date given to you so that you don’t have to stand in long lines waiting outside.”
Gordon added patients are not turned away.
“They are helped, for the clinic does not turn anyone away,” she said.
“She has her facts warped and coming in on the tail end. I don’t know why she has the equation in her head that we are not doing anything.”
