Dozens of well being services throughout Limpopo had been broken by the flooding triggered by persistent heavy rains, which began in December 2025, leaving some partially inaccessible whereas others function underneath pressure.
At Tswinga Clinic outdoors Thohoyandou, the perimeter fence collapsed, exposing the clinic to potential prison exercise and disrupting healthcare providers.
A nurse on the clinic, who spoke to Well being-e Information on situation of anonymity, says that and not using a fence, they’re in a susceptible place.
“Clinics are sometimes focused. We don’t need a repeat of incidents just like the Chuene Clinic in January 2025, the place nurses had been kidnapped, robbed and raped. Anybody can now stroll into the clinic,” one nurse says.
The nurse provides that workers proceed reporting for responsibility regardless of fears for his or her security. “We’re right here to assist sufferers,” she says.. “However we additionally must really feel secure whereas doing our jobs.”
Well being MEC Dieketseng Mashego visited Tswinga Clinic two weeks again, the place she confirmed that the principle injury was to the clinic’s fence. She stated a upkeep group had begun pressing repairs to revive safety on the facility.
Mashego additionally recommended healthcare employees who continued offering providers underneath troublesome circumstances and those that reported to various services when flooding made their workplaces inaccessible.
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Limpopo Division of Well being spokesperson Neil Shikwambana confirmed that repairs at Tswinga Clinic are underway however haven’t but been accomplished.
Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has stated that the estimated value of repairing broken well being services at present stands at R7 million. The determine is anticipated to extend as assessments proceed and additional rainfall is forecast.
Well being providers disrupted
The flooding has not solely broken infrastructure however has additionally disrupted entry to healthcare providers. The provincial secretary of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in Limpopo, Jacob Molepo, says the flooding has affected each services and roads resulting in them, stopping some healthcare employees from reaching their workstations.
“Roofs had been leaking, many services had been flooding, and a few employees couldn’t attain their workstations. The federal government should urgently repair the injury so healthcare employees can work with out concern of harm from particles or unsafe constructions,” Molepo stated.
He burdened that injury to Tswinga Clinic requires pressing intervention as a result of it immediately impacts the protection of healthcare employees and sufferers.
Different flood-damaged services
Within the Mopani District, seven hospitals and 19 clinics sustained injury, whereas storm-related destruction was recorded at Bela-Bela, Ellisras, FH Odendaal and Mokopane hospitals within the Waterberg District.
In Vhembe District, Elim Hospital – one of many area’s largest referral hospitals – suffered in depth storm injury after sections of its roof had been compromised. The injury pressured administration to shut some wards and relocate workers and sufferers.
Well being officers warn that additional rainfall might worsen current injury and place extra strain on Limpopo’s already strained public well being system.– Well being-e Information.
