Community Story: De Hope Clinic, Limpopo Province


A river, too few staff and a lack of ambulances hamper patient care



by Joel Ntimbani

De Hope is a disadvantaged area in Limpopo Province. Goods are available
from tuck shops and there is no transport. The town clinic covers six
villages: Nhanganani, Njhakanjhaka, Doli, Matsele, Nkunzana and De Hope.
Some patients have to travel more than three kilometres to the clinic
and on some parts of the road you have to take off your shoes to cross
the river.

The clinic does not have a telephone and there is a shortage of staff.
Staff use their mobile phones for emergencies to communicate with the
doctors at Elim Hospital. There is only one nurse for voluntary
counselling and testing. When she is upset she does not come to work,
therefore no VCT is done until she comes back. If there is a patient
that is in a critical condition they have to wait for the ambulance and
it takes time to come because it travels for more than 70 kilometres to
the clinic.

Mr. Shikwambani (the senior professional nurse) uses his Toyota conquest
car to transport patients to Elim hospital. It is a risk because if a
patient dies in his car he could be held accountable. But what choice
does he have?

[END OF DE HOPE CLINIC STORY]