The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) and affected community members staged a picket in front of the NU 8 Clinic in Motherwell on Monday, over the closure of the health facility.
Budget constraints, staff shortages as a result of resignations, and criminality have all contributed to the woes.
According to Nupsaw, the clinic has only two professional nurses to provide services to hundreds of community members daily, a task which they say is humanly impossible.
They say numerous interactions with representatives of the Eastern Cape Department of Health have not yielded any positive results.
The union's Provincial Secretary, Mzikazi Nkata said while the department is "relaxing" communities are dying due to the non-availability of treatment and staff shortages.
"The department is crying that most nurses have resigned due to the two-pot system and, our question as the organisation is when are you filling up those vacant funded positions that were left by those who resigned because it's been months now since they have resigned."
Questions were also raised as to why the vacancies of those who died or resigned were not filled.
Health Department spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase said staff shortages are a result of budgetary constraints, resignations, and criminality.
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He said the department was working hand-in-hand with the community to raise awareness about the impact crime has on its facilities.
"We are again calling on the community to protect health facilities and healthcare workers because when our staff are too traumatised to work it is the community that suffers.
"It is worth noting that whenever clinics are temporarily closed, clients are directed to nearby facilities to ensure the continuity of services."
According to Ndamase, the department is committed to filling vacancies.
He said the situation around budgetary constraints had been explained to union leaders and staff.
"It is then surprising that there is a union that acts as if it is not aware of the budgetary constraints of the department.
"To then personalise the budgetary constraints as if the HOD is responsible for it would be very unfortunate and uncalled for."
Ndamase emphasised the matter of staff shortages in Gqeberha and other parts of the province was receiving urgent attention.
