Note to editors: You can download a sound clip in English from Jane Cowley MPL
A thirteen-month-old baby has tragically died after suffering a short but severe bout of diarrhoea, after the Gwadana Clinic, which should have been available to provide care, had closed its doors early in the afternoon.
The child’s grandmother reportedly sought help at around 3.00 pm, only to be informed by a nurse that the clinic had already closed at 1.30 pm. This is in direct contradiction to provincial policy, which requires clinics to remain open to the public from 7.30 am until at least 4.00 pm.
For a family in distress, the absence of accessible care at a critical moment had devastating consequences.
The Democratic Alliance has written to the Head of Department of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Dr Rolene Wagner, requesting a full report explaining why the Gwadana Clinic closed so far outside its mandated operating hours.
We have further requested to be kept informed of any disciplinary action taken against the Clinic Manager who allowed the clinic to close early.
Dr Wagner herself confirmed standard clinic operating hours during a recent Health Portfolio Committee meeting, making this incident particularly concerning. When official policy is clear, yet services are unavailable, it raises serious questions about oversight, accountability, and patient safety in rural healthcare facilities.
Community members have further alleged that staff at the Gwadana Clinic frequently arrive well after opening time, delaying the start of services. These allegations, if confirmed, point to a deeply troubling culture of disregard for patients who rely entirely on public healthcare facilities for care.
This raises the disturbing question of how many other families in Gwadana may have suffered similar losses due to the unavailability of healthcare services when they were needed most.
Rural residents already face significantly longer emergency medical response times than their urban counterparts, which makes the consistent operation of clinics even more critical.
The Democratic Alliance will continue to fight for the right of every citizen to access healthcare services when and where they are needed. We will continue to demand a professional public health system that treats patients with dignity, urgency, and respect.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers accountability, ensures access to care, and protects the most vulnerable among us.