Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba’s spokesperson, Judy Ngoloyi, has confirmed that 57 people were tested by the National Health Laboratory Services at Philani Clinic last week following a staffer recently being tested positive for Covid-19.
The Rep reported (“Philani Clinic staff tested after Covid-19 case”, May 1) that the facility was closed for three days to allow for disinfection, and staff members requested a representative of the district department of health to address them.
Ngoloyi said the positive patient was tested while doing an outreach at Ezingcaceni, one of the villages in Cacadu. “The staffer has been provided with Covid-19 education and has since self-isolated in a place that cannot be disclosed due to clinical ethics and patient-clinician confidentiality. The district can confirm that in her list of contacts, which is procedural when one tests positive for Covid-19, has listed some staff members working at Philani Clinic. It is unfortunate, that upon receipt of results, the tested person first informed her colleagues even before alerting the relevant authorities and thus sparked panic in the clinic and the community.”
Ngoloyi said the district urgently engaged with the clinic staff and labour union representatives. “Testing of contacts listed by the staffer was conducted and even extended to all clinic personnel, doctors supporting the clinic and supporting partner staff, including some clinic committee members. The district pleads with everyone to observe the lockdown regulations, wash hands regularly with soap and stay at home,” she said.
A statement issued by the Nehawu Matthew Goniwe region indicated that the closure of Philani Clinic followed the union having to “force” the employer to test employees after the case was reported. “If it were not for the union’s intervention, employees would not have been tested and the community may have been placed at risk unnecessarily. What is more disturbing is that management has informed the union that it will call back workers before they even receive their results. We will not allow this to happen and will monitor the situation closely,” read the statement.
