MBOMBELA – The Phelophepa Health Train pulled into the Nelspruit Railway Station on April 1 to provide much-needed medical services to those who otherwise do not have ready access to healthcare.
According to the train manager, Bheki Mendlula, the train serves far-flung rural communities in the country by providing these services to residents in communities which have been identified as being in need.
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The services they offer include a prostate-, breast- and cervical cancer screening programme, a dental clinic, psychology clinic, a general health clinic and an eye clinic. Mendlula outlined the services.
He said, “We provide free counselling and workshops in the communities we visit and if medication is dispensed to a patient, the charge for the medicines is R5, regardless of the quantity.
“Children under 15 do not pay for any of the services. We have a pharmacy on board for patients to collect their medication and receive education on the safe use of them.”
His journey with the train started in 2014 after he joined the programme as resident optometrist, then as eye clinic manager until his appointment as train manager in 2018.
An undertaking of this magnitude requires intensive planning with the communities before the train reaches these remote areas and Mendlula explained that the process involves liaising closely with stakeholders such as SAPS, the departments of correctional services, basic education and social development, and local municipalities.
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Volunteers are sourced to assist with translation and cleaning, and retired nurses to assist with the registration of the patients.
“Before we get to a particular station, our team works on the ground to coordinate with the stakeholders and the recruitment of the volunteers who provide invaluable assistance,” he said.
Many of the volunteers and staff are sourced from universities where final year students who are performing well academically are placed on the train to provide this service in remote communities across South Africa.
They work under the watchful eyes of the permanent team who stay on the train and the experience provides them with practical, hands-on exposure in the particular field of medicine they are studying.
On the day after their arrival, overcast weather did not deter patients like Dumisani Sidu who visited the eye clinic for treatment.
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He said, “It is good that the train is here to help us. I have been suffering for a long time and getting the treatment I need is very expensive. Here, I am only charged R5 for medicine and if they give me glasses, I will only pay R30.”
Another patient, Anna Mshwana agreed, adding that the treatment she received at the general health clinic made her feel that the nurses cared about providing relief to her illness, which she would not disclose.
Mendlula also said, “Now in its 25th year in existence, the programme’s primary objective is to increase access to primary health care and to provide support to the department of health.
“They are the custodians of health in the country and we have been working hand-in-glove with them since the programme was started.”
The Phelophepha Health Train will leave Mbombela on April 17, making its way to Carolina from April 29 to May 10, and then on to Burgersfort from May 13 to 24. Its last stop in Mpumalanga will be in Kinross from May 27 to June 7.
