I am astonished that the three dentist chairs at the Lenasia Clinic in Extension 13 have been broken for three years.
I discovered this yesterday when I visited the clinic after receiving a complaint from an elderly patient that dental fillings are not done there as there is a problem with the dental chairs.
He was told to go to Lenasia South clinic which is 10 kilometres away and he cannot afford the transport as he is a pensioner.
Only one of the chairs can be adjusted for height and is used for tooth extractions only.
None of the chairs can be used for tooth fillings as there are no suction pipes.
This disgraceful situation has lasted for three years as the Gauteng Health Department has failed repeatedly to fix the chairs.
I saw a brand new dental chair that was delivered in November last year but has not been used because it is not functional.
This is incompetence of the highest order. Can you imagine a private dentist only doing extractions because his equipment doesn’t work?
Local patients are highly inconvenienced by having to go to Lenasia South clinic for fillings where there is a two month wait for an appointment.
I have requested Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu to get the chairs fixed as soon as possible.
(Photos available on request)
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DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health