Clinic offers free medical circumcision
From 10 to 16 February it is condom, STIs and unplanned pregnancy week, and Phakamani Empowerment will be at DUT and taxi ranks promoting condom usage to prevent unplanned pregnancy, STIs and HIV.
MMASHELA Health in partnership with Phakamani Empowerment is providing men in the community with free medical male circumcision.
Speaking to Berea Mail, Phakamani Ndlovu from Phakamani Empowerment, said his passion for the cause started in 2011 when he went for a free circumcision at Mc Cord Hospital. He said after the procedure he had posted on the hospital’s Facebook account to commend the staff for their professionalism and for the ‘awesome’ service.
“They called me and asked if I would talk about my experience and encourage people at their clinic, and I became an ambassador for medical male circumcision in eThekwini. I then worked at the hospital in marketing focusing on medical male circumcision, and in 2013 when the hospital closed, I carried on in this line of work, moving to the Society for Family Health, an NGO which has a contract with the Department of Health, where I worked as a co-ordinator for voluntary medical male circumcision in the eThekwini District. Since then I have been in this space,” he said.
Phakamani said Mmashela Health is contracted by the Society for Family Health and Phakamani Empowerment partners with them to create awareness of the importance of medical male circumcision. “We are a small company that deals with demand creation and mobilisation of men eligible for the procedure. Mmashela Health, based in Umbilo Road, provides circumcision for free, as part of the government strategy. Research has shown that circumcision decreases sexually transmitted infections and HIV by up to sixty per cent. The message we preach is abstinence, being faithful and the importance of using condoms, as well as increasing hygiene,” he said.
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The focus of the KZN Health Department is to target males between the ages of 15 and 34 for circumcision as they are at risk and are the most sexually active. Phakamani said they do, however, encourage men of all ages to undergo the procedure. He said the organisation had a mobile clinic, in partnership with the Department of Health, which moved around promoting this.
“We target local colleges such as Durban Coastal, Thekwini College in Umbilo and Cato Manor, UKZN Howard College and the Medical School. We also take the mobile clinic around eThekwini where we park and promote the procedure,” he said.
The clinic visits Durban Station on a Monday, the KwaMashu taxi rank at Soldiers Way on a Tuesday, Warwick and Dalton Hostel on a Wednesday, Mega City in Umlazi on a Thursday and Isipingo Clinic on a Friday. He said they also attend municipal events.
From 10 to 16 February it is condom, STIs and unplanned pregnancy week, and Phakamani will be at DUT and taxi ranks promoting condom usage to prevent unplanned pregnancy, STIs and HIV.
“We encourage the community to come through to the facility in Umbilo,” he said.
Mmashela Health is situated on the first floor at 416 Umbilo Road. Contact Phakamani on 083 761 5841.
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