Free healthcare for local informal settlement
"Today we bring healthcare services to the new extensions of the informal settlement; we cannot only focus on the city while so many people are living outside it."
Project Hope UK is proud to introduce their Hope Park in Munsieville, a healthcare base for the community of Ward 25.
The Park, which is a satellite clinic established to provide free medical assistance to the settlement, now offers different services – from fatherhood and parenting advice to pregnancy counselling for young expecting mothers.
In the about 10 containers, various officials from different services will offer treatments and TB and HIV screenings.
The professionals will also counsel community members on how to deal with these diseases. Aspects such as preventing malnutrition will also be covered and healthy living and gardening will be taught.
Services, which only the nearest clinic five kilometres from the centre of the settlement used to offer, are now available close by.
To top it all, 20 third-year Wits University student doctors were invited to visit the site for a few weeks to help the staff with tests, counselling and other services. The students are being exposed to community health issues and will also learn about community outreach programmes.
Bongani Mveng, a third0year medical student at Wits takes a sample from Didintle Masubela, a child from Munsieville.
When the smiling students arrived at the park dressed in their bright nursing scrubs, the grateful community members welcomed them with open arms. They were taken to different stalls where they treated patients throughout the day. The students will be rotated to other programmes across the province every 10 weeks.
They worked with social workers such as Susan Mosai and members of Mogale City Local Municipality’s HIV section such as Phumla Jonas.
“Today we bring healthcare services to the new extensions of the informal settlement; we cannot only focus on the city while so many people are living outside it,” said Betty Nkoana, founder of Project Hope.
“We bring a service that is free of charge and which no one has to wait in line for. The clinic doesn’t just provide healthcare close to home, it also helps lift the workload from clinics in town.”
Precious Malefo, a member of the Westville Clinic will help teens battling with substance abuse. She said nyaope is becoming ever the more popular in the settlement.
“Kids drop out of school, commit crimes and even steal from their own parents to sustain their habits. Most of the time the youngsters were introduced to it without even knowing it was a drug,” said Precious.
Help with Sassa grants and with IDs will also be offered to older members of the community.
“The main objective is to give to the people who don’t have anything,” said Betty.
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