Students receive free quality health care

Westcol, a local further education and training college, recently held a health awareness campaign in partnership with the Mogale City Department of Health and four other non-government organisations (NGOs).

A project called the Higher Education South Africa HIV/Aids Programme (Heaids) with five other organisations – West Rand Youth Development, Auram, Motsweding and Ikageng Itireleng meaning “help them help themselves” with Higher Education South Africa (Hesa) the main organiser – strive to encourage the youth to make their health their first priority.

In honour of this vision, a testing clinic was set up at the Krugersdorp campus on 16, 17 and 18 February ready to test the students.

“We offered counselling, screening and testing for HIV, TB, STIs, blood pressure, diabetes, family planning, female contraceptives and male medical circumcision,” said Lisa Orffer, the student support facilitator.

Up to the morning of 18 February from 10am until 2pm about 350 students have been tested “anonymously and consensually”.

“Westcol is not interested in students’ academic results only, but also has an holistic approach towards education,” explained Lisa.

On 18 February, 22 young women were scheduled to receive contraceptives ranging from intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants to injections. An IUD typically costs about R3 000, so for these students it normally would not be an option. Today organisations receive sufficient funding from institutions such as the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) to provide the youth with proper healthcare.

Leclue MacVay, a 21-year-old Westcol student who is training to be a peer educator as well, was tested and aims to help and encourage other students to do the same.

“The goal is to have a permanent health care professional at colleges all across South Africa,” Lisa said.

All the Westcol campuses along with numerous other universities will host this programme to make health a first priority among students.