No help for sick as staff close clinic

[caption id="attachment_35449" align="alignright" width="405"] WAITING IN VAIN: Patients wait to be treated at the Zwide clinic as staff protest outside. Picture: JUDY DE VEGA[/caption]

STAFF shut the Zwide clinic in Port Elizabeth yesterday and refused to help patients until security is beefed up.

Their action came after an assault on a sister, allegedly by an angry patient.

Sister Nonzaliseko Gedze, who is a shop steward, said yesterday the clinic had only one security guard.

"On Tuesday, a sister in charge was assaulted by a patient who had been waiting to get medication for the whole day.

"There were more than 500 patients waiting to be served at our pharmacy. It has only one pharmacist who deals with ARV patients, and two assistants who give out medicine," Gedze said. - Yoliswa Sobuwa