POLOKWANE – Residents will benefit from free access to primary healthcare when the Phelophepa health train makes a stop in the city from July 24 to 31.
Phelophepa, which means “good, clean health”, is a unique mobile healthcare clinic that uses the existing rail network and travels to remote communities in South Africa, where services such as dental, optometry, psychological and pharmaceutical services are offered.
Medical check-ups are done for free, while specific treatment cost only R10 and medication costs R5.
Those with eye problems pay only R30 for prescription eyeglasses, while teeth are cleaned or removed for free.
Eleanor Mthethwa of Transnet says the health train is an initiative of Transnet, which started in 1994 to give affordable primary healthcare to the needy.
“Whenever the train pulls into a station, a number of health lifestyle volunteers are trained to help their community with health awareness,” she says.
Another 70 people are employed for various tasks, like interpreting for the doctors who might not speak the patient’s language, cleaning and other work.
“Among the doctors and nurses who work on the train are fourth-year students who specialise in certain health professions and are doing their internships. The students work under the supervision of doctors.We work closely with the department of health in each province to ensure patients who test positive for critical illnesses like cancer or HIV continue to receive help once the train has left,” says Mthethwa.
