The Boland Districts Municipality has stopped an innovative  scheme in Robertson, in which patients attending local clinics  gave a small medication  donation and  managed to raise a significant amount of money  to finance  a wide range of health services not covered by government.

The community health forum, which started the scheme four years ago, by encouraging patients to pay between R2 and R5 when receiving medication has no idea why the scheme was stopped.

“It is unclear why they have opted to stop this system as they have not had the decency to inform us why they have ordered clinic staff to stop. I think this could have been handled very differently,” said Kayce Meulenbroek, chairperson of the Robertson Community Health Forum.

The donation money has been used for a number of projects, including buying  medicine not provided by the state, physiotherapy equipment, theatre equipment, painting of the hospital and several items for a centre caring for the terminally ill.

During May  alone the committee paid  R3 200 for  critical hypertension drugs and other medication because it was not available from the Cape Medical Depot.

But the “donation system”, as it is known in the community, was recently unceremoniously stopped by the Boland Districts Municipality mayor Clarence Johnson and the municipal manager, Kam Chetty, at the four municipal clinics.

The clinic at the Robertson Hospital, which falls under the provincial administration, has continued with the system as have clinics in areas not falling under Johnson and Chetty.

Numerous attempts to get comment from Johnson and Chetty failed.

Meulenbroek had in the past met with both Peter Marais and Nic Koornhof while they were Health MECs in the province. “Both gave their blessing to the project as long as everything was above board,” said Meuelenbroek.

In 1997, the health forum took a decision to establish a fund to assist with the financing of medical costs and equipment which would in turn maintain the services being offered at clincs. At least 195 people attending the clinics were questioned, asking whether they would be prepared to give a donation of R2 ‘€“ 188 said yes and 7 said no.

The donation system was born on April 1 1998 with a R2 donation. The donation was later increased to R5  and R400 000 has been raised.

“We have never turned anyone away who doesn’€™t have the money,” said Sister Marie Bekker, who heads up the Boland Districts Municipality clinics.

“We only get so much money and posts have been frozen. We could only do so much with the money we received from local government so the donation system was a huge motivating factor. Every single cent has been ploughed back into the community,” said Bekker.

She said patients were asked to make a donation only when they received medication, but reiterated that this was not a prerequisite.

“Interestingly it was those people who could least afford it, that were keen to make a contribution,” Bekker added.

Meulenbroek said attempts to meet the new Health MEC Piet Meyer have not been successful, but according to Meyer’€™s office the MEC was planning to “invite the health forum for a cup of coffee”.

The matter was also being investigated by the Western Cape health department.