Complaints of long queues and poor treatment at Delft Community Health Centre

Residents protested outside the Delft Community Health Centre in Cape Town on Wednesday to demand better health services.

When manager Mzwamadoda Gaji came out to receive their memorandum, community leader Shirley De Bruyn refused to hand it to him.

"There were marches previously and we handed our memorandum to him, but nothing happened," she said.

De Bruyn, who is a nurse, said toilets were dirty, doctors were overworked, and old people had to wait in queues.

Kader Riddleys, who is a wheelchair user, said he sometimes waits up to nine hours to collect his medication. "It's heart-breaking to see elders standing in long queues for medication," he said.

In their memorandum the protesters complained, among other things, about the quality of health care, the behaviour of security and some health staff, long queues and shortages of medicines. They asked that the pharmacy be kept open for 12 hours a day instead of closing daily at 3:30pm.

Primary healthcare manager Alfonso Patientia received their memorandum. He said he would arrange a meeting with the community leaders to discuss their grievances and demands.

GroundUp asked the Western Cape health department to comment on the demands in the memorandum. A response had not been received by the time of publication.