A BONTEHEUWEL man says he got the shock of his life when he went to pee in a cup at his local day hospital, only to find the toilets had no doors and patients were relieving themselves in full view of everyone.
Nazeem Hartley, 58, says he had just arrived for his regular sugar test at the Vanguard Community Health Centre in Bonteheuwel on 30 June, when he was handed a small plastic container to urinate in.
That’s when he discovered the shocking state of the patient bathrooms.
“At the time we were four or five men that went to the toilet and as you sit in the waiting room there is a big door to go to the toilet and the section has no locks on,” Hartley told the Daily Voice.
“I then went to the cubicles where there was a female toilet and male toilet, but the female one said ‘out of order’ with tape over and the male one right next to the female one with no door on.
“So when I went to fill my container there were men standing behind me and women and we were peeing in an open toilet and one lady was shouting because a man walked in on her while she was in the toilet.”
Hartley said the situation was embarrassing and undignified, and slammed the clinic for not protecting patients’ privacy.
He added that patients should be treated with dignity and respect especially in a medical facility.
Western Cape Government Health and Wellness spokesperson Jihaan Opperman confirmed there were maintenance issues at the facility but said repairs were on the way.
Opperman told the Daily Voice: “Repairs to the door will be completed in July 2025. There are two toilet cubicles in the waiting area near the doctors consulting room, one remains operational but had its door temporarily removed due to structural concerns and to ensure patient safety; the other, though structurally intact, was out of service due to plumbing faults and has been clearly marked and sealed off.
“As a result, only one toilet is currently available, and the main entry door to the bathroom area is being used to control access for privacy.”
She added that safety measures have been put in place to ensure only one patient uses the bathroom area at a time.
The department also apologised for the inconvenience and assured the public that dignity, privacy and safety remain a priority while the repairs are under way.
