Only 191 fillings for 8608 dental patiens at Lenasia clinic

24 March 2016

The Lenasia Clinic in Nirvana Road in Lenasia saw 8608 dental patients last year but only did 191 fillings because of non-functioning suction on the dental chairs.

This was disclosed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in an oral reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mahlangu, the low water pressure in the area meant that there was no suction function on the chairs and mobile suction units had to be used instead. A new dental chair had been bought in July last year but could not be used because it tripped the electricity supply at the clinic.

The Department of Infrastructure Development would attend to these problems in the new financial year which starts in April.

Mahlangu also said that patients who need fillings could go to other clinics or to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

I think that it is unacceptable that dental patients at this clinic are not given the option of fillings because of broken machinery. Many teeth that could have been saved are yanked out instead. 

I have visited the clinic twice and I saw that the two mobile suction machines are also broken, contrary to what is said by the MEC. This is why so few fillings are being done there. I was told that not a single filling had been done since October last year.

The MEC should not delay in fixing the facilities at this clinic so that it can provide a full dental service to local residents.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 24 March 2016