Private doctor shocked at what he found
Peter Luhanga
- Woman with deep vein thrombosis sent home with painkillers and ointment.
- Video of man collapsing at Dunoon Community Health Centre reception area sparks outrage.
- Long history of poor service at the health centre.
A Dunoon woman was sent home from the local clinic with ointment and painkillers for her swollen leg, only to find out days later that she was suffering from a deadly condition.
In pain and unable to properly use her left leg, Mpho Madzidzela, 30, from Dunoon Section 28, sought treatment at the Dunoon Community Health Centre on 26 February. During her visit, her blood pressure was checked, and a urine test was conducted, both returning normal results.
But when she tried to open a patient file, she was sent to the police mobile truck on the health centre’s premises to complete an affidavit declaring that she had forgotten her ID at home. Upon returning, a second healthcare worker took a look at her swollen leg and sent her home with instructions to put ointment on her leg and keep it elevated.
She was also given painkillers and a sick note for work.
For the next two days, she complied with the instructions.
But by 1 March, the pain had become unbearable. Seeking a second opinion, she went to a private doctor in Table View, who was alarmed to find she had Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a life-threatening condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein. If left untreated, it often leads to a blocked artery and death.
The doctor at the private medical practice, where she paid R600 in consultation fees, immediately referred Madzidzela to New Somerset Hospital. There, medical staff asked her why she had delayed seeking care. She explained that she had first gone to the Dunoon clinic, where she was sent home with advice to buy an ointment, elevate her leg, and take painkillers.
At New Somerset Hospital, she was admitted for a week. Doctors conducted a full diagnosis and warned that any further delay could have been fatal.
Caught on video
Madzidzela shared her experience following the circulation of a 33-second video on Tuesday 18 March, showing a man collapsing near the exit door of the Dunoon clinic.
The man had reportedly waited more than three hours without receiving any help.
The footage, filmed by fellow patients, shows security guards trailing the man as he stumbles and falls. In a moment that has sparked outrage, a staff member briefly puts on gloves to assist the man but quickly turns their attention to the person filming. Onlookers can be heard in the background, saying the man had been ignored during his long wait for treatment. The video quickly went viral, fuelling a wave of condemnation and intensifying calls for accountability at the Dunoon clinic.
History of poor service
Poor service at the clinic is nothing new. In September 2023, Dunoon activist Thembelani Ndabezimbi led a protest, calling out the local clinic for its crippling queues and appalling service.
“Seeing that video broke my heart,” said Ndabezimbi. “I don’t know what really happened there, but seeing a patient lying on the floor unattended, inside a healthcare facility is heartbreaking and it shows exactly what the community has been complaining about, which is carelessness from the staff of that clinic.”
He said after the last protest he helped organise, he hoped things were going to improve at the clinic.
He said that following the protest, the clinic launched a wellness outreach program at the Dunoon community hall in November 2023.
“The services they promised to provide through this programme were never available, and people ended up going to the main clinic [the Dunoon Community Health Centre] for those services,” he said.
“My message to the public is that the people must not allow themselves to be silenced, they must speak up and not suffer in silence when they are faced with ill-treatment, or witnessing one.”
He said the substandard service at Dunoon Community Health Centre has a devastating impact on vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and those with chronic illnesses.
These groups were dependent on the clinic as they were unable to access care anywhere else, he said.
Nomvuzo Mukumela, founder of the Dunoon Nomvuzo Foundation, says there is a need for a full-time facility manager at the Dunoon clinic.
“At this point, no one is taking full responsibility for the poor service delivery,” said Mukumela.
“We protested against this issue, but instead of improvement, the situation has only worsened.”
She said the Western Cape Department of Health must address staffing shortages by recruiting more doctors for healthcare facilities and ensuring that all such institutions are adequately resourced.
No treatment after referral
Madzidzela said after being discharged from New Somerset Hospital on 7 March she was given a referral letter instructing her to return to the Dunoon clinic for a follow-up treatment. But when she went there on 10 March she was neither treated nor examined. Instead, she was handed an appointment for 3 April, forcing her to wait nearly a month for a follow-up after her initial one-week hospital admission.
“At the clinic, you have to make an appointment to receive treatment, almost as if you need to predict the exact day you’ll be sick. It’s like foretelling the date you’ll fall ill, so when that day comes, you can be treated on the spot. How can anyone predict when they’ll get sick?” she asked.
She said the service at the Dunoon clinic was “abysmal”.
“It feels as though they’ve just picked people off the streets to fill healthcare positions. Jobs in healthcare, much like those in the police or firefighting, should be driven by a genuine passion for care. But when we go to the Dunoon clinic, it feels like we’re nothing more than an inconvenience, as though our presence frustrates them,” she said.
Taken out of context
Western Cape government health and wellness spokesperson Monique Johnstone said the department is aware of the video circulating on Facebook showing a patient lying on the floor at the Dunoon clinic.
Johnstone stated the department investigated the matter and found the video failed to show the full context of the event.
“We can confirm that the patient arrived at the facility on 18 March 2025 on foot at 17:28 and was triaged within two minutes. After his vital signs were checked and found to be stable, he collapsed while opening a folder at reception. Healthcare professionals responded immediately, administering appropriate medical care. He was admitted and monitored overnight before being discharged the next day with medication and a script,” said Johnson.
She said the community needs to be more careful when filming and sharing moments like these, as short clips can easily mislead. She praised the clinic staff for “their quick and caring actions, making sure the patient’s well-being was top priority”.
She stated that complaints should be submitted through the facility manager, call centre, or email. Once received, the quality assurance manager would follow up for more details, investigate, and inform the complainant of the outcome. If needed, cases would be referred for specialist review and corrective action taken.