A burglary at the Westridge Clinic led to severe damage and resulted in the temporary closure of the facility.
|||Cape Town - A burglary at Westridge Clinic led to severe damage and resulted in the temporary closure of the facility.
The clinic was broken into in the early hours of yesterday morning, resulting in the clinic flooding and the ceiling collapsing, leaving it unsafe to be used by patients and staff.
Mayoral committee member for health services Lungiswa James said Westridge patients would be helped at the clinic in Rocklands and the Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre.
“We would like to encourage patients who normally attend Westridge Clinic to go to the clinic in Rocklands until further notice.”
She said dental emergencies and clients collecting medication from the chronic dispensing unit should go to the Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre, where a special window would be designated to assist Westridge clients.
James said the amount of damage caused by the burglary was still being assessed by the city, and details regarding repairs and reopening of the facility would be made available when possible.
James appealed to members of the public to act against crimes of this nature and asked those with any information regarding the break-in to call the local police station.
“I would also like to appeal to all members of the community to act against theft and vandalism in our facilities as they belong to all of us,” James said. It has not yet been established whether anything was taken during the burglary.
The City of Cape Town apologised for the inconvenience the closure has caused and reassured patients that they would strive to have the clinic reopened as soon as possible.
Those with medical queries can visit the Rocklands clinic on the corner of Lancaster and Park roads or contact them on 021 392 5121/2.
Police could not confirm the incident yesterday. Those with information can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Last year, the Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre was vandalised soon after a multimillion-rand upgrade. Thieves reportedly stripped the hospital of electric cables, taps, door locks and toilet seats.
yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za
Cape Argus