Most of the council's clinics are now closed during weekends and holidays because the local authority cannot provide transport for its workers on a regular basis, a report released last week has revealed.

Thorngrove Hospital, the country's biggest tuberculosis treatment centre would also be affected by the measures described as "desperate" by councillors.

The closure of the clinics, which council says would be for a period of three months in the hope that the dire economic situation in the country improves, is expected to pile more misery on city residents.

The majority of the residents can no longer afford astronomical fees demanded by private service providers.

Council's 19 clinics, mainly in the poor high-density suburbs, had become the only alternative for residents shunning poorly resourced government referral hospitals and private clinics now charging in foreign currency.

But according to a report tabled before a full council meeting on Wednesday, only the four clinics that provide maternity services namely Pelandaba, Nkulumane, Luveve and Northern suburbs will remain open during weekends and holidays.

"The service provision rationalisation is a temporary measure that will be reviewed from time to time and cut across other council services that are currently being examined such as sewer and water workshops, libraries, grave digging and banking services," the report said. "TB patients would collect all their medication during the week from the nearest clinic so that their treatment is not disrupted."

Thousands of TB patients are treated at the Thorngrove Hospital every week.

Initially, the council's General Purposes Committee had proposed that the measures should be in place for the next six months but the period was reduced to three by council, fearing this would have a serious impact on the health of the city's more than 1.5 million inhabitants.

Council said it had tried to provide transport to its workers to enable them to report for duty regularly but this was proving to be difficult because of perennial fuel shortages.

The country's health delivery system has virtually crumbled under the weight of the deadly economic and political crisis in the country with most government hospitals operating without essential drugs and personnel.

Poorly paid doctors and nurses are on strike most of the times as the government struggles to give them salaries that match the country's rampaging inflation.