Health
- Whether the Merweville clinic is only open on Mondays and Thursday, if so, why not on the other days; if so, what are the arrangements for emergencies on the outer days;
- why (a) there is no waiting area / room for patients with more serious conditions at Merweville clinic when they are transferred to George and (b) do they have to wait outside or in passages?
- Merweville is a satellite clinic and not a fixed clinic. Only fixed clinics are open five (5) days a week. The remainder of the week the professional nurse renders a mobile health service to cover the surrounding farm areas.
When the professional nurse is doing the mobile route, the clinic remains open. An enrolled nurse is available at the facility during working hours. In case of emergency, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are contacted for assistance. Although Merweville is part of Beaufort West sub district, clients are referred / transported / admitted to Prince Albert Hospital, in Prince Albert sub district. After hours and over weekends clients contact EMS at Leeu Gamka themselves.
During 2014/15 primary health services were rendered to 4506 citizens by the Merweville Satellite Clinic and to 1088 clients attending the Merweville Mobile Clinic. The vastness of the area must be taken into consideration.
The Clinical Nurse Practitioner (CNP) post in Merweville has been vacant since the end of May 2015. The post was advertised with closing date 31 July 2015. No applications were received. As an interim measure, an outreach service from Beaufort West is provided twice a week. No mobile services are rendered at the moment.
Recruiting staff to the Central Karoo remains a challenge. One of the professional nurses from the area has been recruited to train as a CNP in 2016.
- (a) Clients who are transported by HealthNet for specialised services in either George or Cape Town are picked up at home. Arrangements have been made with the VGK Church in Merweville as a pick up point for clients who must go to Beaufort West.
(b) A new parkhome was added to the facility in 2013 and the area between the parkhome and the clinic is covered with a roof. There is thus a shaded waiting area, as well as an adequate waiting area indoors.
