PCA brings medicine and joy to the poorest
The purpose with the outreach was to allow the residents to see a volunteer doctor, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and to help and treat any sick children and their parents.
On Saturday October 12 a convoy of vehicles loaded with volunteers, equipment, goods and even mobile toilets and a jumping castle descended on Magalela squatter camp outside White River on yet another medical outreach organised by Pediatric Care
Africa (PCA).
The camp is home to about 1 500 people, of whom an estimated 130 are children. The purpose with the outreach was to allow the residents to see a volunteer doctor, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and to help and treat any sick children and their parents.
Dr Veronique van der Linde and a team of sisters were kept very busy with all the patients queuing up to receive medical attention. In total 48 patients and children were attended to and medicine prescribed. The latter was collected from White River Pharmacy and delivered to them.
A number of children were identified as possibly malnourished and supplied with special foods.
Margaret Stone, a legend in White River, handed out toys she brought along to the outreach.
The children were also spoiled and treated by having their faces painted. They had a jumping castle which they thoroughly enjoyed – except for a few smaller ones only watchfully considering it from a distance, before retreating back to the safety of their mom’s laps.
Babies also received special gift boxes collected for and donated to PCA at the Busamed arts and culture evening a while ago. The mothers’ faces lit up when they opened their boxes and saw what was inside.
Residents received fresh hot dogs and cold drinks to keep them occupied while waiting to see the medical volunteers. Mario’s Butchery supplied all the bread rolls for the hot dogs and Fun Galore donated the jumping castle for the day.
“So many kind and interesting people came out to help us that it is impossible for us to thank everyone individually,” PCA founder and executive director, Dr André Hattingh, said afterwards.
His appreciation also went to the farm at KMI Airport that recently donated fresh vegetables to the Katoen settlement, who in turn shared it with PCA. The very generous and welcome vegetable donation went a long way to feed as many children and their parents as possible.
The team picked the vegetables themselves and it was delivered to the destinations within hours.
