Idutywa cuts long queues with 24-hour medication unit

New dispensing system gives chronic patients the freedom to collect medication after hours, on weekends and public holidays.

IDUTYWA- Patients collecting chronic medication at Idutywa Community Healthcare Centre could spend less time in queues following the launch of a 24-hour Prescription Dispensing Unit (PDU), the first of its kind in the Amathole District.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation South Africa (AHF SA) has donated the unit, which was officially launched at the facility on 14th October 2026 in partnership with Idutywa Community Healthcare Centre and the Eastern Cape Department of Health.

The service is designed to allow patients to collect their pre-packaged medication outside normal clinic hours, including at night, on weekends and public holidays.

For local resident Zena Xintolo, the new system offers relief to patients who have often spent hours waiting to collect their medication.

“We are very grateful for this machine. Things will be better now. We will no longer sit here all day long but someone can now come and collect medication even after work,” Xintolo said.

She said the unit would be particularly helpful to employed patients who previously had to take time off work to collect their medication.

Country Programme Director of AIDS Healthcare Foundation South Africa Dr Nombuso Madonsela, said the organisation was committed to improving healthcare services and ensuring rural communities were not left behind.“As AHF we want to make impact wherever we are. We are committed to bring better services to the community,” Madonsela said.

“We cannot have PDUs in urban areas and outcast our rural people. Our motto is to provide every healthcare service to everyone despite location. We hope with this PDU operating 24/7, we will have better retention,” she added.

Eastern Cape provincial medical manager Dr Tunde Yusuf-Saka described the launch as a milestone for healthcare access in the district.

“We are proud to be the first organization to do this within the district. It’s an opportunity for patients to access medication at their own time. It’s a 24-hour service,” Yusuf-Saka said.

He said long queues and extended waiting times had been among the obstacles preventing patients from accessing treatment consistently.

“We noticed one of the biggest stumbling blocks is access to treatment because of large crowds and long waiting times. But now they can just go to what we refer to as an ATM for medication,” he said.

The collection process uses a one-time pin (OTP) sent to patients by SMS to access their pre-packaged medication.

According to Yusuf-Saka, patients who have lost their phones may use their identity document numbers.“Practically everybody has a phone. As long as you have a phone and a service provider, you are going to get an SMS,” he said.

Yusuf-Saka emphasised that, patient education would be important, particularly for elderly people who might need assistance understanding how to use the Idutywa cuts long queues with 24-hour medication unit unit also sends automated reminders to help patients remember to collect their medication.

AHF SA said the initiative was intended to ease pressure on the health centre while improving continuity of care for chronic patients in Idutywa and surrounding villages.

The 24-hour service is expected to give patients greater flexibility in managing their treatment while balancing work and other daily responsibilities.