Farm pupils finally get mobile clinic!

Gauteng pupils are still faced with limited access to quality healthcare.

The Mobile Health Clinics Foundation has a plan of solving this challenge, on Thursday, 16 March in partnership with pharmaceutical company Bayer AG they launched a mobile clinic at Blair Atholl Primary Farm School in Lenseria. The programme will join five other clinics that have been running since 2022.

According to the foundation’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Rosy Ndhlovu, this initiative will ensure that pupils receive access to treatment.

“Such an initiative is important because the objective is always to keep children in school and thriving,” Ndhlovu said.

She told Daily Sun that the programme would focus on Grade 1, 4, 8 and 10 with the goal of providing screening to about 40 to 60 pupils daily. The fully equipped mobile clinic will provide primary health care, dental service, health education and water safety.

Gauteng Department of Education Deputy Chief Education specialist Mary Mmapela Rapoo said this was a way of ‘making up’ for the under-serviced communities. While Gauteng Department of Health Youth and Integrated School Health Programme, Maternal Child Health and Nutrition director Sikhonjiwe Masilela said the programme would help close the gap between pupils’ health needs and basic health care.