Criminal acts hinder service delivery at Limpopo clinics
The Limpopo Department of Health says its intentions to improve service delivery at primary health care facilities are being interrupted by criminal elements in communities.
This as the department suspended the on-call system at Makgope clinic in the Greater Tzaneen area after armed men broke into the clinic.
The armed criminals assaulted and robbed security personnel of their cellphones before demanding their firearms.
Department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana says they have suspended the on-call duty system so they can work on measures that will guarantee the safety of the staff members in the clinic.
"The department has just brought over 300 nurses on board, and the majority of these nurses will be placed in our primary health care facilities in order to expedite the 24-hour functioning of clinics," says Shikwambana.
"However, these continued criminal acts that threaten the safety and also the lives of our staff members continue to threaten our good intentions.
"It is not possible for clinics to function at night while our staff members cannot be guaranteed safety because of criminals who willfully gain access to our facilities."
The department has called on community members and stakeholders to work with it and law enforcement agencies to stop criminality in public health facilities.
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