LUPHISI Clinic on the outskirts of Nelspruit has been without essential medicines for almost a year.
The clinic has been without antibiotics for children, malaria syrups, children's TB medication and ointments since the beginning of the year.
"We put in orders all the time, but we don't get supplies. We are left with no option but to improvise and mix medications for certain types of sickness," a nurse, who asked not to be named, said.
The nurses also improvise by using ordinary paper as patient files.
Two weeks ago they received their 500 medical files, their second allotment since February this year. They now have about 300 left.
"It's impossible to manage with such a shortage when we normally get about 1500 patients a month.
"Sometimes we are left with no choice other than not to file for minor ailments and to prioritise chronic patients.
"Sometimes patients lose the small pieces of papers we give them and then their whole medical history is lost, which compromises diagnosis," a nurse said.
Besides medication the clinic also has a huge shortage of space, which compromises confidentiality, especially for HIV counsellors.
The tiny reception area also serves as dispensary and storeroom.
The manager's office is used as a consulting room, with a filing cabinet being used to separate two sections of the room.
The adjacent labour ward consists of two old beds and no oxygen machine.
The radiant warmer, a machine with which newborn babies are kept warm while they receive oxygen, hasn't worked since 2009 because the room does not have a wall plug.
"We now use a blanket as substitute for the machine," said a nurse.
A stone's throw from Luphisi Clinic is Tekwane Clinic, which was built in the 1960s in a farmyard.
Its small building is crumbling, while the clinic's new state-of-the-art structure across the road has been under construction for more than a year.
According to staff they were promised that they would move to the new clinic on November 27 but this was postponed.
"The department has promised us on many occasions that things will improve. We are sick of it," said a member of staff, who asked not to be named.
Sowetan visited the new building , and it seemed as if only paving and plumbing were outstanding.
Nurses have to make do with little
LUPHISI Clinic on the outskirts of Nelspruit has been without essential medicines for almost a year.
The clinic has been without antibiotics for children, malaria syrups, children's TB medication and ointments since the beginning of the year.
"We put in orders all the time, but we don't get supplies. We are left with no option but to improvise and mix medications for certain types of sickness," a nurse, who asked not to be named, said.
The nurses also improvise by using ordinary paper as patient files.
Two weeks ago they received their 500 medical files, their second allotment since February this year. They now have about 300 left.
"It's impossible to manage with such a shortage when we normally get about 1500 patients a month.
"Sometimes we are left with no choice other than not to file for minor ailments and to prioritise chronic patients.
"Sometimes patients lose the small pieces of papers we give them and then their whole medical history is lost, which compromises diagnosis," a nurse said.
Besides medication the clinic also has a huge shortage of space, which compromises confidentiality, especially for HIV counsellors.
The tiny reception area also serves as dispensary and storeroom.
The manager's office is used as a consulting room, with a filing cabinet being used to separate two sections of the room.
The adjacent labour ward consists of two old beds and no oxygen machine.
The radiant warmer, a machine with which newborn babies are kept warm while they receive oxygen, hasn't worked since 2009 because the room does not have a wall plug.
"We now use a blanket as substitute for the machine," said a nurse.
A stone's throw from Luphisi Clinic is Tekwane Clinic, which was built in the 1960s in a farmyard.
Its small building is crumbling, while the clinic's new state-of-the-art structure across the road has been under construction for more than a year.
According to staff they were promised that they would move to the new clinic on November 27 but this was postponed.
"The department has promised us on many occasions that things will improve. We are sick of it," said a member of staff, who asked not to be named.
Sowetan visited the new building , and it seemed as if only paving and plumbing were outstanding.
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