Just how much longer should residents endure poor service delivery meted out by the ANC, in all the spheres of government it leads.
Despite the ANC’s slogan that it is “a party, led by the people for the people,” some residents argue that the party appears to serve its own members at the expense of the poor and vulnerable in South Africa. They allege that with corruption levels reportedly escalating in departments under ANC governance, funds intended for vulnerable communities are instead being diverted to corrupt politicians and officials. The late whistleblower Babita Deokaran, a Gauteng provincial financial official, exposed alleged corruption amounting to around R2 billion over a three-year period at Tembisa Hospital. Residents describe this as merely the “tip of the iceberg” regarding alleged looting within departments under ANC control. Deokaran was later assassinated, and while arrests were made, community members note that broader accountability for the alleged corruption remains a matter of public concern. The consequences of corruption in Gauteng’s public health sector, they say, have included budget constraints affecting critical services such as cancer treatment.
Locally, the Laudium Sun has learned that the Laudium Community Health Centre (LCHC), commonly known as Laudium Hospital on Bengal Street, abruptly terminated its home-based care services for elderly and frail residents who are not mobile from November last year. Residents allege that ANC Ward Councillor Naeem Patel has remained silent on the matter. Those affected say they are in distress and have pleaded with authorities to reconsider the termination of these services.
Ninety-year-old Sarah Bibi of Himalaya Street in Laudium said, “I am pleading with the authorities from Laudium Clinic to please reconsider terminating the services of their nurses visiting the homes of the frail, aged and disabled. Imagine me, a 90-year-old, going to the clinic to stand in a long queue for my medication. I know there are many more people who are also in my situation.”
said she is pleading with the authorities to reconsider terminating the services of nurses from the Laudium Hospital visiting the homes of the frail, aged and disabled.
Another resident, 93-year-old Kasie Jivan of Mocha Street, Laudium, expressed disappointment that nurses from the hospital were no longer visiting patients at home. She questioned how elderly residents were expected to collect medication and attend check-ups at the clinic under the circumstances.
Krishni Pillay of Aquamarine Street, the legal guardian and caregiver of her brother and sister who have been mentally and physically challenged since birth, told the Laudium Sun that her siblings had received home-based care since the early 2000s, which significantly eased the burden of care. She explained the practical and emotional challenges of transporting non-verbal and bedridden patients to public facilities, citing long queues and what she described as limited patience from some staff members. She said she was informed a few months ago that home visits would cease due to a shortage of doctors and nurses available to conduct them. She appealed to authorities to at least reinstate monthly nurse visits for medication delivery and basic monitoring such as blood pressure and glucose testing.
Rookie Soma, senior volunteer social worker from Laudium Care Services for the Aged (LCSA), described the suspension of home-based medical care as deeply concerning. “As a social worker serving the Laudium community, I feel compelled to respond. My heart reaches out to our seniors, confronted with such harshness. We are seeing the real impact of the withdrawal of home-based medical care services on the most vulnerable among us — the bed-bound and mentally and physically challenged residents who cannot advocate for themselves. For many families, these monthly nurse visits and occasional doctor’s visits were not a luxury; they were a lifeline.” Soma highlighted that without such support, caregivers — often elderly parents or single siblings — are left to manage complex medical needs alone, which can result in delayed care, preventable complications and significant emotional strain.
She further emphasised that the issue was not only about healthcare but also about dignity. Soma urged local health authorities, community leaders and stakeholders to urgently review the discontinuation of home-based care services and to engage directly with affected families. At minimum, she called for the reinstatement of monthly nurse visits for medication delivery and basic monitoring of high-risk, bed-bound patients. She added that she had contacted a supervisor at the hospital, who confirmed that there were challenges related to staff shortages and a lack of maintained state vehicles.
When approached for comment, a representative of the Laudium Community Health Centre stated that the contracts of certain doctors had ended and that new doctors had since been allocated, with services expected to resume at the beginning of March. However, no clarity was provided regarding the termination of nurse home visits or how patients dependent on these visits were expected to obtain their monthly medication. Attempts to obtain comment from Ward Councillor Naeem Patel, who serves in the ANC PCO Office alongside members of the Gauteng Legislature and Parliament, were unsuccessful.