On Thursday, 17 January 2019, Member Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development in the City of Joburg, Cllr Mpho Phalatse, tabled a report to the Mayoral Committee meeting on the challenges that the 80 Albert Street clinic is facing due to serious environmental health issues in and around the clinic.
A unanimous decision was taken to temporarily close down the clinic and relocate services to the nearest health facilities to ensure that primary healthcare services continue. The decision comes following an assessment by the city’s environmental health inspectors, who declared the building where 80 Albert Street clinic is housed, a bad building.
The environmental health practitioners have been reporting about the untenable environmental health hazards that have been developing over time in and around the health facility. The current conditions in the clinic are clearly in contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety as well as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), as well as the Labour Relations Act that require our health workers to work in a healthy and conducive environment. The environment also is not complying with the Environmental Health legislation, bylaws and the policy guidelines.
The 80 Albert clinic is situated on the first floor in the Heritage Building that is surrounded by an informal settlement and the car repairs’ small businesses. There is a number of unknown occupants in the building. Some of the occupants allegedly belonged to an NGO that worked with the Provincial Social Development. Illegal squatters who have moved into the building continue to compromise the facility which was recently repaired.
Water is seeping through the walls into the health facility as squatters continue to partition the top floors of the building and illegally connect to the clinic water and electricity systems.
As the political head of the Health Department, Phalatse visited the clinic this week to inform the staff of the decision. During the site visit on Monday, 21 January 2019, Cllr Phalatse was shocked at the rapid decline of the building. She informed staff at the clinic that the temporary closure of the facility will be done properly to ensure that the service rendered to patients is not compromised, especially those who are on chronic medication.
“As the custodians of environmental health in the city, we need to lead by example and abide by environmental health standards. Continuing to operate under these circumstances would be a direct violation of even the city’s service with pride mantra. This closure will enable us to do the right thing and give our residents the kind of service they deserve, “said Phalatse
A committee has been established to manage the closure and transfer of patients, staff, as well as patients’ records to Jeppe, Esselen and Rossetenville Clinics which are within a 5km radius of 80 Albert Street Clinic.
Phalatse said lives of patients and staff should never be compromised and that closing down the clinic, while permanent solutions are finalized, should be understood in the context of saving lives and providing quality healthcare.
Media queries please contact:
Lesego Mathibela
Stakeholder Manager
Office of the MMC – Health and Social Development
Tel: (011) 4076725
Mobile: 061 497 8286
E-mail: LesegoMat@joburg.org.za
