Transnet’s Phelophepa Healthcare Train (PHCT) will arrive at Dube Station in Soweto over the weekend of 27 and 28 July 2024 and open for service on Monday, 29 July 2024, until Friday, 2 August 2024, and again from Monday, 5 August until Friday, 9 August 2024.
Parked alongside Platform One and accessible from Mncube Drive, the PHCT also known as the “Train of Hope”, partners with the City of Johannesburg annually to bring its distinctive range of healthcare services to the city’s residents.
Phelophepa, meaning “good clean health” in a combination of Sotho and Tswana, is essentially a primary healthcare clinic on wheels. With 19 carriages and a dedicated staff of 65 professionals, it offers a host of free healthcare services to the community on a first-come, first-served basis from 7.30am to 4pm daily, excluding weekends.
The team includes final-year students from various universities specialising in pharmacy, psychology, dentistry, and optometry, as well as managers, translators, and security personnel.
Residents are advised to bring their clinic cards and child immunisation records for reference.
Services Offered:
- Edu-Clinic: A health education programme for up to 20 community volunteers covering topics such as hygiene, nutrition, immunisation, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/Aids prevention, and substance abuse.
- Health Clinic: Health screenings, treatment of minor ailments, and health education. Consultations are free, and prescribed medication costs £0.30 per prescription (free for schoolchildren).
- Eye Clinic: Vision screening, eye tests, and prescription glasses at affordable prices.
- Dental Clinic: Free oral health education and screening, with extractions, cleaning, and fillings available for a small fee.
- Psychology/Counselling Clinic: Qualified psychologists offer individual and group counselling on stress, bereavement, parenting, abuse, and conflict, as well as workshops on coping strategies.
In 2023, over 1 000 residents received medical assistance and counselling at Dube Station. The team also engaged with 18 primary and four secondary schools, providing health screenings, minor treatments, referrals, and psychology workshops for pupils, staff, parents, and school governors.
Upskilling workshops for community health workers and psychology awareness training were delivered to groups identified by the Department of Social Development.
Introduced in 1994, the Phelophepa train is a flagship social responsibility programme of the Transnet Foundation. A second train, Phelophepa II, was launched in 2013. Together, they visit eight provinces annually, reaching over 400 000 people. The Phelophepa train is a vital resource in areas with limited healthcare services and infrastructure.
INFO SUPPLIED.
