Aan Het Pad Clinic closes permanently in Stellenbosch amid safety concerns

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has permanently closed the Aan Het Pad Clinic, with all services relocated to the Cloetesville Community Day Centre.

The department said the decision follows ongoing concerns about the safety of both staff and patients at the facility, after a rise in serious and violent incidents over the past year.

According to the department, all healthcare workers previously stationed at Aan Het Pad Clinic have been redeployed to other facilities in the area to ensure continuity of care.

"Over the past year, we have seen an increase in serious and violent incidents affecting the clinic, and endangering the safety and lives of all our patients accessing the clinic, as well as our staff working at the clinic," the department said in a statement.

Director of the Cape Winelands District, Handri Liebenberg, said patient and staff safety had become a critical concern.

“We cannot expect patients to take responsibility for their health by regularly visiting their clinic for support, if it means they have to come here in these dangerous and threatening conditions,” she said.

Ms Liebenberg added that despite efforts to improve security at the clinic and working with the police and municipal law enforcement, the department had no option but to prioritise safety by closing the facility.

Services previously offered at Aan Het Pad Clinic, which mainly included preventive and chronic care, have been transferred to the Cloetesville Community Day Centre (CDC). The dispensing of chronic medication, which was previously done at Eikestad Hall, has also moved to the centre. Patients who collected medication at Eikestad Hall are now advised to collect it from the pharmacy entrance at the CDC from Monday to Thursday between 8am and 9am.

The outreach service at Eikestad Hall, known as The Health Hub, will continue, with mothers and babies encouraged to attend on Tuesdays from 8am to noon. The Koelenhof Mobile Clinic will also continue its outreach to farms, with patients referred to Ida’s Valley Clinic or Cloetesville CDC when necessary.

Staff formerly based at Aan Het Pad Clinic have been integrated into teams at Cloetesville CDC and Ida’s Valley Clinic. The department said security at the CDC would be strengthened, and modifications would be made to improve the patient waiting experience. In the longer term, additional consultation rooms and facilities are planned for the centre.

A community meeting to discuss the service changes will be held soon.

Ms Liebenberg reassured residents that the department remains committed to providing quality healthcare services to the Stellenbosch community and thanked both staff and residents for their cooperation during the transition.

Operational manager at Cloetesville CDC, Sister Luceille Esau, said staff from both facilities are working together to ensure patients continue to receive the best possible care.

"We kindly ask that our patients work with us during this transition period. Please attend your scheduled appointments – this is one of the ways we can function as efficiently as possible,” she said.