Protest calls for new hospital in Gugulethu

More than 100 Gugulethu residents protested outside the Gugulethu Community Health Centre last week calling for a new district hospital to be built in the area.

The protesters said they had tried repeatedly to raise the issue with the provincial department of health and had presented the department with a list of grievances at an earlier protest but had had no response.

However, Health and Wellness Department spokesperson Monique Johnstone said the Department of Infrastructure was still in discussions with the City about a site for the hospital.

GroundUp reports that in December the City agreed to transfer the ownership of a sports field in Gugulethu to the provincial government for the new hospital, but some community members and sports clubs subsequently opposed the decision, saying that clubs and dozens of schools used the field weekly, and there hasn’t been progress or feedback from the department since then.

The protest was organised by a civil society group, the Movement for Change and Social Justice. The group’s representative, Phelisa Dlangamandla, accused the authorities of failing to adequately include the community in plans to build the hospital.

The provincial health department had promised in 2020 that a new hospital would be completed by 2026, but nothing had been done to make good on that promise, she said.

“We have marched and protested, but there has not been any response to our demands. It has been too long now. We need a new hospital now. This facility is too small and causes congestion,” said Ms Dlangamandla, referring to the Gugulethu Community Health Centre, which is also known as the KTC day hospital.

“The facility was built in the 60s, and you can imagine the population has grown and it continues to grow. The only change that has happened here is the change of entrances and renovations.”

Gugulethu’s population had grown significantly and another health-care facility was needed to serve a range of new settlements, she said.

The march was supported by Sonke Gender Justice and the Vukuhambe Disabled Centre.

Vukuhambe Disabled Centre manager Thozi Mciki said the day hospital was not wheelchair friendly, and he was still nursing an injury he had sustained during a visit there in January.

“I tried to go between the cars with my wheelchair, and I fell. That is how small the place inside here is. We really need a new hospital and a bigger one,” said Mr Mciki.

Sikhangele Mabuli, from Sonke Gender Justice, said there would be no new hospital without action from the community.

“We are here to encourage the government to build the hospital. We are in pain because our voices are not heard. I think we need a strong action like a sit-in in the government offices or at this facility for the government to listen,” he said.

Ms Johnstone said maintenance work and painting had been done at the day hospital, and there were plans to build a new midwife obstetric unit there.

She conceded that access for disabled people to the day hospital was limited.

“The facility has wheelchair access; however, the surface is uneven and clients require some support if they are not able to manoeuvre themselves. We do have porters to assist people in wheelchairs. Renovations are planned for the near future to improve services at the current facility until we have confirmation of the new site. We are remaining abreast of developments of the identified facility for the community of Gugulethu and will keep all stakeholders informed once we have further information.”