Agreement Mkhari 
Chaos and frustration erupted at Giyani Clinic on Monday night after night shift nurses failed to report for duty, leaving patients unattended and the clinic non-operational well into the evening.
By 7:30pm, the clinic’s waiting area was crowded with distressed patients, including sick children, elderly residents, and people needing urgent care. The day shift had ended at 6:00pm, but no one from the night team arrived to take over.
“We’ve been sitting here with no help. My baby has a high fever, and there’s no one to even look at him,” said a frustrated mother who had been waiting for two hours. Another patient added, “They switched shifts and locked everything up like there’s no one suffering.”
Loadshedding made the situation worse, plunging the clinic into darkness and disrupting communication. A clinic assistant, the only staff member on site, told patients she couldn’t offer treatment or access consulting rooms, as she was already attending to cases in the maternity ward.
Some patients left in desperation, while others stayed, unwilling to risk the health of their loved ones. “This is not the first time this has happened,” said a young woman in the waiting room. “We need to hold the Department of Health accountable. People’s lives are being put at risk.”
The Department of Health has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
