Patients, already vulnerable because they are ill, worry that the dirty toilets make them susceptible to various infections. Patients use buckets to get water from the taps so that they can flush after using the toilets.
One patient said: “Some patients especially children or those who are extremely sick don’t have the power to carry the bucket full of water to flush the toilet so they leave it like that, some they even pee on the floors.”
A patient who wanted to remain anonymous said: “As patients we want a better service. These toilets are very dirty. We can’t use the flush as there is no water in the toilet. The smell is unbearable; we have to hold our breath to go inside.”
The health care workers at this facility said they had addressed the issue with their authorities who had promised to attend to the problem as soon as possible but nothing has been done yet.
Patients compared the clinic to other nearby clinics and said they are far better than theirs when it came to cleanliness.
“We have four clinics in this township which are Daveyton Main Clinic, Chris Hani and Barcelona Clinic, and this one, Phillip Moyo, but the others are far better than this one,” said the patient who didn’t want to be named.
“We come here because we are sick. We need help, but the more we come here, the more we become sick because of those toilets,” she said.
When sanitation system fails or are inadequate the impact on the health of the patients and the negative impact on the clinic environment can be extremely serious. Patients can be exposed to infections like diarrhea and typhoid.
