ACCESS to healthcare services has been a challenge for Finetown residents. The clinic in the area has been closed since it was completed in 2020.
Residents are angry and frustrated as this leaves them with no choice but to travel to the next nearest clinic to them.
The Sunday Independent team visited the clinic and found no activity at the healthcare facility.
Residents living close to the clinic said they were told that it would open in April, but that did not happen.
“We were told that the clinic would be operating mid-April, but we’ve reached the end of May and there’s been nothing,” said Keletso Lewinsky from the area.
Philane Seeko said they have to travel to Ennerdale Clinic or Lenasia Clinic for healthcare services, and this is costly for them. She said they had to get up early and pay for transport to go to the clinic in Ennerdale.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom, who visited the clinic recently, said they had received complaints that residents are anxious for it to open as they have to travel far to get medical care.
“There were delays in building the clinic as the original contractor had to be replaced, and the cost shot up from R35 million to R53 million. The Gauteng Health Department has made many failed promises to open the clinic. The latest missed timeline is an opening at the end of April this year. According to the Department of Infrastructure Development, there are delays in the rezoning applications,” said Bloom.
He said this is a poor excuse by a department that is notorious for incompetence and corruption.
“I will ask questions about why this clinic is still not open and pressure the Health MEC to ensure it provides a comprehensive health service as soon as possible,” said Bloom.
According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the building of the clinic started in 2017, and the project is still in progress.
The clinic closed because it was burned down and had to undergo construction.
“The Department of Health is waiting for the Department of Infrastructure Development to hand over the site for operationalisation,” said the Head of Communications at the Department, Motalatale Modiba.
The following health facilities are available: Lenasia South Civic Clinic, Mid-Ennerdale Clinic and Ennerdale Extension 9 Clinic.
Modiba said the clinic would be re-opened as soon as an official handover is done by the Department of Infrastructure Development.