For years, a trip to St Elizabeth Hospital has meant long queues and exhausted patients heading home without treatment.
Now, residents of surrounding villages hope the arrival of final-year medical students will provide faster care and better service.
Ndimbane village resident Thandokazi Jabavu, 39, said the presence of student doctors from Walter Sisulu University’s newly launched Rural Clinical School could make a real difference for families who relied on the hospital.
“I come here often when my child or I are sick, but it is very frustrating,” she said.
“People stand in the queue for a very long time at the dispensary and sometimes we go home without getting any pills.
“We spend R52 a day on transport to the hospital — money many families must carefully budget.”
I am hoping the students will work together with the doctors and encourage those working at the dispensary to improve their services.
— Thandokazi Jabavu, resident
Jabavu said while doctors usually worked hard to assist patients, delays at the dispensary often undid that effort.
“The doctors try their best to speed things up, but staff at the dispensary slow everything down,” she said.
“Sometimes they even give us attitude when we complain.”
She hopes the students will help change the culture of service.
“I am hoping the students will work together with the doctors and encourage those working at the dispensary to improve their services.”
A total of 10 final-year medical students have already been placed at St Elizabeth Hospital, where they perform mostly clinical duties under supervision — from consulting patients to drawing blood, setting up IV drips and assisting with X-rays.
Final-year student Lebeko Madike said their presence was already easing pressure on overstretched doctors.
“In our rotations, doctors deploy us to see patients just like any other doctor,” he said.
“We take histories, perform procedures and assist patients. Practically, we do everything a doctor does, but under supervision.
“It helps reduce the workload and allows more patients to be seen.”
Madike said communities across rural Eastern Cape hospitals had raised similar concerns.
“Long waiting times, staff shortages, limited resources and transport difficulties are common everywhere — especially for people coming from rural areas,” he said.
Another student, Nothando Langa, said working in rural hospitals came with challenges, particularly a lack of equipment.
“In many hospitals there isn’t material that is well functioning, so we have to improvise within the department’s rules,” she said.
We hope to leave a lasting positive impact.
— Nothando Langa, student
Despite this, she described the placement as a meaningful opportunity to serve communities she identified closely with.
“I resonate with the black population a lot, and now I experience first-hand the complaints about waiting in lines and how people are treated,” she said.
“But knowing there is something we can actually do about it makes me happy. We hope to leave a lasting positive impact.”
For patients like Nomvelo Tambodala, 41, from Malizole village, even small improvements would be life-changing.
Living with a disability, she often arrives at the hospital before sunrise, only to wait the entire day.
“I wake up at 5am to come here, but I end up standing in long lines the whole day,” she said. “It is very tiring for my body.
“I’m hoping for a positive change where we are attended to faster so we can go home and rest.”
Hospital chief executive Simphiwe Maya described the Rural Clinical School as a turning point for rural health care.
“This initiative is a game changer,” he said.
“It equips future doctors with skills to serve where they are needed most and helps address the long-standing shortage of healthcare professionals in rural communities.”
Walter Sisulu University vice-chancellor Dr Thandi Mgwebi said the school reflected the institution’s commitment to serving society while allowing students to apply the skills they have developed over six years of training.
“It enables students to lend a hand in areas that are understaffed, while continuing to learn in real-world conditions,” she said.
While provincial health authorities say the programme is strengthening rural healthcare capacity, for residents like Jabavu and Tambodala its success will ultimately be measured in shorter queues, quicker treatment and dignity in care.
“We just want to be helped on time and go home well,” Jabavu said.
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