Protest outside Delft community health centre after baby’s death
The health department says the centre cannot treat patients who need specialist care and the child was referred to Tygerberg Hospital
Dozens of Delft residents protested outside the community health centre on Wednesday demanding improved treatment. Photo: Vincent Lali
- Residents of Delft in Cape Town protested outside the community health centre on Wednesday.
- They want treatment improved and they also want the hospital upgraded and extended.
- The mother of a one-year-old child who died in December said nurses had failed to treat her baby properly.
- But the health department says the centre is a primary care facility, which cannot treat patients needing specialist care.
- The department said the child was referred to Tygerberg Hospital but died before transport arrived.
Dozens of angry residents of Delft in Cape Town protested outside the Delft community health centre (CHC) on Wednesday, complaining about treatment.
They held up placards saying, “We want justice” and “Justice for Raziq”, in reference to Raziq John, a one-year-old who died at the clinic in December.
‘’We don’t want further deaths,’’ said community activist Siwe Coka.
She said the protesters wanted the Western Cape Department of Health to set up a task team to investigate lack of professionalism by health workers, quality of care, and deaths of patients.
They also wanted the centre to be extended and upgraded, and the child unit to be kept open at night and on weekends so that parents with young children would not have to go to the trauma unit.
Coka said Delft had grown and now had nine new informal settlements, but the clinic had remained the same size.
She said security guards sometimes turned people away. “Guards ask you about your sickness before they allow you in. They are not supposed to do that because they are not doctors.’’
Nabagah John said she had brought one-year-old Raziq for medical treatment after he experienced breathing problems at 7am on 27 December 2024.
‘’The nurses checked his vitals and said he was fine,’’ she said. She said he was not given a red sticker to show that he was in a critical condition. Coloured stickers are given to patients according to the seriousness of their condition.
She said the nurses put her son on a respirator at 2pm.
‘’While I waited, my son battled to breathe and rolled his eyes. He died in my hands,’’ she said.
John said the nurses tried unsuccessfully to revive him.
‘’My son would not have died if they put him on a respirator immediately after I arrived.”
‘’I want to die with him. That’s how I feel now.’’
Megan Davids, spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, said, “We are deeply concerned by the public’s reports regarding allegations of negligence at Delft CHC and claims of security personnel turning patients away.”
She said, “Under no circumstances are security personnel permitted to deny patients access”.
“Delft CHC is a primary healthcare facility and does not have the necessary equipment to treat patients requiring specialist care. In such cases, patients are referred to appropriate facilities, such as Ms John’s little one, for the care they need,’’ said Davids.
‘’The baby’s vitals were assessed, and medical intervention was provided for a severe chest infection while the staff requested the Flying Squad to transfer the child to Tygerberg Hospital for further emergency care. Despite our team’s efforts, the baby unfortunately passed away before the transport arrived.’’
She said the department took allegations of poor treatment “with the utmost seriousness” and extended condolences to families affected.
Davids invited people who have had “an unpleasant or inadequate experience” at the centre to contact the department, by submitting an official complaint at the centre: emailing service@westerncape.gov.za, calling 0860 142 142, or sending a PLEASE CALL ME to 076 769 1207.
“Every report will be thoroughly investigated,” she said.
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