By Tabisa Mntengwana
26 January 2010

OVER a thousand patients have received primary healthcare from the Phelophepa Healthcare Train, which has been visiting Buffalo City since Monday, 18 January.

The train spent five days at the Mount Ruth Station in Mdantsane before moving on to King William’s Town Station; it is still to go to Dimbaza Station.

The Transnet train has been around since 1994, aimed at delivering comprehensive, flexible and cost-effective primary healthcare to disadvantaged communities. According to a report from the train, it also contributes towards basic healthcare awareness campaigns.

On arrival on the train, each patient is registered and assessed, and then directed to the appropriate clinic. It has a dental, optometry, healthcare, psychology and pharmacy section. “All these sections are well equipped to cope with a variety of patient’s needs,” reads the report.

Dental clinic
Once a patient has undergone a dental pre-screening on the station platform, he or she is treated in one of the five-on-board dental chairs. Each chair is equipped to perform cleaning of teeth, extractions and restorations.

“The clinic also has a digital x-ray unit to perform intra-oral radiology of the mouth.” Adults pay R10 per procedure while children under 15 years receive their dental care for free.

At the healthcare clinic, which is sponsored by Roche Products, the focus is on quality primary healthcare and health education, the treatment of common illnesses and ailments, diabetes and cancer screening. There are five on-board cubicles and no examination fees are charged.

Patients are pre-screened on the station platform for the optometry clinic, and further testing is done in the refraction rooms on board. There are four rooms equipped with phoroptors, projection charts and bio-microscopes.

Prescription spectacles are produced in the train’s laboratory and a range of ready-made reading glasses is also available. “Patients leave with their spectacles on the same day,” reads the report.

Adults pay R30 for spectacles and children under five years receive theirs for free. Services at the psychology and counselling clinic are also free.

Staff at this clinic is trained in community psychology and helps to counsel people, guiding individuals in finding solutions to their problems, which include HIV/Aids, violence, stress, unemployment, depression and parenting skills.

After five sessions on the Phelophepa train, patients are referred to local community psychologists and social workers for follow-up assistance.

Edu-clinic
The train has an on-board edu-clinic that looks at communities’ healthcare needs. It has 16 volunteers who undergo a five-day HWSETA-accredited basic healthcare programme, and are encouraged to take their newly acquired knowledge to their communities.

The on-board pharmacy charges adults a R5 fee per script. The pharmacy is also sponsored by Roche Products and its staff offers quality pharmaceutical care.

Train manager Magdeline Ntikinca, speaking at the King William’s Town Station, said: “The train is about uplifting disadvantaged communities in areas that are poverty stricken. Besides rendering healthcare services, we also offer temporary jobs to locals.”

She explained that the train had employed at least 70 local people to help with various duties such as interpreting, housekeeping and external services. Phelophepa also uses final-year and post-graduate students in the fields of optometry, dentistry, community nursing, psychology and pharmacy.

Ntikinca said the train supported partnerships. “This time we have the Department of Correctional Services, which has given an opportunity to prisoners on parole a chance to restore their dignity by working closely with the train staff.”

The train will be King William’s Town until 29 January and Dimbaza from 1 to 5 February. Phelophepa has 18 carriages made up of clinics, accommodation for staff, dining, kitchen, laundry, power and storage areas. It operates for 35 weeks a year.