Sinkhole leads to 'indefinite' closure of Khutsong West Clinic

Wednesday was the last day of operation for Khutsong West Clinic, west of Johannesburg, which had to close owing to safety concerns after the development of a sinkhole.

“The facility will be closed indefinitely from Thursday. The decision follows ongoing geotechnical challenges caused by an active sinkhole activity in the Khutsong West area which poses serious safety risks for both health-care users and staff members,” the department said.

Patients who used the clinic should visit a number of nearby facilities for uninterrupted primary health-care services within 2km-4km of the closed clinic. These are:

• Khutsong Community Health Centre;
• Khutsong South Clinic;
• Khutsong Extension 3 Clinic;
• Khutsong East Clinic; and
• Welverdiend Clinic.

“To ensure seamless continuity of care, patients are kindly requested to bring valid identification documents and inform staff at the alternative clinic that they are former patients of Khutsong West Clinic. This will enable linking them with their medical records for ongoing treatment and follow-up.”

The staff members at Khutsong West Clinic have been reassigned to the nearby health facilities.

TimesLIVE