Burgersfort Clinic to finally operate 24-hour
BURGERSFORT
The calls by local communities for Burgersfort Clinic to operate on 24-hour basis have been answered.
Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has on August 1 activated the Burgersfort Clinic and HC Boshoff Clinics (Maandagshoek) to provide 24-hour services to communities around Tubatse.
In October 2022, a heavily pregnant woman gave birth outside the Burgersfort Clinic after she was allegedly denied access because the health facility did not operate for 24 hours. During the same month, last year, another woman gave birth inside a vehicle at the same clinic.
Ramathuba said this is part of the 2023/24 budget speech commitments.
She has committed to have most clinics offer 24-hour services by the end of this financial year in all districts across the province to provide access to medical services, reduce pressure on emergency rooms, and ensure continuity of care.
“There has been an increasing demand for 24-hour medical services, especially in rural areas where people must travel long distances to seek medical attention,” said Ramathuba.
She declared 2023 to be a year of primary health care, she declared the activation of a 24-hour service in clinics as a positive development in the healthcare sector.