Limpopo Villagers Demand Action on Failing Clinic

• Residents of Valdezia village near Elim want the Limpopo Department of Health to act urgently on the deteriorating state of their clinic.
• They want a new building, longer clinic hours, and an end to stockout and understaffing issues.
• About 70 residents led by the Valdezia Concern Group protested last week.
• Since the protest, the department has deployed a nurse to the clinic and promised that the clinic will start operating full days and on weekends.

Frustrated villagers in Valdezia near Elim are demanding urgent action from the Limpopo Department of Health over the deteriorating state of their clinic.

Last week, about 70 residents blocked a busy road between Elim and Malamulele to demand answers from the department. As protesters gathered at the clinic gate, health department officials met with management inside.

The protest came months after the Valdezia Clinic Committee sent a complaint to the department in April, asking for a new clinic building which would be open 24 hours a day. The department acknowledged receipt of the letter, but residents say there’s been no action.

Built in 1888 by Swiss missionaries, the clinic has significantly deteriorated. Air conditioners no longer function and one room is used to store medication, despite concerns that high temperatures may compromise its efficacy.

The clinic is small but currently serves a population of about 14,000. It used to operate 24 hours a day but due to understaffing this is no longer the case. It now operates between 7am and 4pm on weekdays and is closed on weekends.

During a recent visit, GroundUp saw a nurse attending to a patient in the maternity room with files scattered on the beds.

The toilets inside the clinic often do not work, but there are three enviro-loo composting toilets outside the building.

The nurses’ accommodation is also in a state of disrepair, with broken doors and unusable toilets.

Understaffing leads to long queues, with patients often waiting over four hours in unpleasant conditions, including a bad smell from faulty drains.

“We’re tired of paying R500 for transport to go to Elim Hospital because our clinic isn’t open 24 hours. There’s no dedicated ambulance—it has to come from Louis Trichardt, 34km away,” said resident Gloria Manhengeni.

A nurse, who asked not to be named, said that the clinic had four nurses, but one resigned due to poor working conditions, another is in hospital with depression, and the third left recently. “With just one cleaner and insufficient staff, managing the workload is a constant struggle,” the nurse said.

Shumani Maboko, of the Valdezia Concern Group, said: “We gave the department 14 days to act. While they’ve added one nurse since then, other promises, like extending hours, remain unfulfilled. If they don’t act, we’ll take our concerns to their offices.”

Limpopo Department of Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said: “We are working to resolve short-term challenges.” He added that operational changes would be implemented gradually. “The clinic will start operating full days and on weekends. Additional staff will be brought in from other areas to improve services,” he said.

Co-published with the Limpopo Mirror

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