Phelophepa Health Care - Train New Partnership

By Jethro J Grootboom

July 2011

In July 2011, Phelophepa Health Train and Oudtshoorn Thusong Service Centre has launched a new pilot joint venture to integrate mobile route services they provide to rural communities. The new partnership will provide South Africa's poor rural communities with primary health care services, such as optometry, pharmacy, dental, psychology.

The provision of primary healthcare will be complemented by services offered by the Departments of Home Affairs (identity documents, birth and death certificates), Labour (Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), registration of unemployed people on database) and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) for grants.

It builds upon Government's vision to work with various service providers to provide all South Africans with access to information and services close to their homes and in each of the local municipalities by 2014. This venture will service as a one-stop partnershipwhere people can easily access services, health care and information in their respective communities. It will also focus on improving peoples' living conditions through the provision of the necessary skills and training.

This partnership and the valuable skills on the Phelophepa Health Train, will further enable Government to improve South Africa's health status through prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyles and good quality health services to all.

The train of hope, as it is generally known, is stationed at Oudtshoorn train station from 18-22 July 2011 and to date it has serviced more than 2 689 individuals on board.

The Phelophepa Health Train gives practical experience for final-year nursing, dental, psychology and pharmacology students, including catering students.