The Mobile clinics are one of TTN's most vital outreaches to the poor, impoverished and sick rural communities in and around Piet Retief.

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Co-ordinators

The clinics are managed by Mr Johan Engelbrecht (Johnny), a local farmer in the Sulphur Springs area, and administered by Mrs Sigrid van Niekerk (Siggi) of Moolman Zending in the village of Moolman.

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MOBILES 1 to 6

At present we have six (6) mobile clinics out in the field, all servicing the areas of Piet Retief (Mkhondo), Amsterdam, communities on the Eswatini border, and more recently the eDumbe area in KwaZulu Natal.

 

How we operate

The mobiles record patient visits in excess of 60,000 site visits per year.  Approximately 200 sites are visited each month on a strict schedule, and each mobile  is staffed by two trained nurses supplied by the D.O.H. TTN provides a counselor who promotes the testing for HIV Aids, and shares basic health issues and gives advice in each community. The clinics have become the ‘eyes’ of the Mission division, as well as being a source of information and support to the Governmental services and NGO’s working in this area of primary health care.

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Why mobile clinics? 

With rural communities that are situated miles away from the local clinics, many people are unable to reach them.  Taxi fares are expensive, and these people often walk for kilometers to reach the clinics in larger centers.  Thanks to the Mobiles, they may have to walk to the next village, or the clinic stops in theirs, so this enables these people to reach us and get the Primary Healthcare they need.  The clinics are also allowed to dispense ARV's directly to the patients from the mobile clinics.  Once the patient has been enrolled in the system and treatment has begun, the Mobiles are then given the ARV’s to distribute to patients living in the extreme rural areas. These patients would have to pay up to R80 per month to come to the local hospital in Piet Retief to collect their pills.

 

The Mobiles are fitted with GPS tracking, and can find contract harvesters who move from plantation to plantation as their work schedule demands. We also have a reporting system that allows for information to be captured and submitted from the actual site by means of Cell phones.

 

Outreach

TTN has established a relationship with communities and developed a trust with them that has been established in over ten years of community work.  We are able to engage them on a number of other outreaches at the sites, such as the Asidlale Box, Farming Foundations (vegetable gardens) and DBS (Discovery Bible Study). 

 

In a nutshell:  they are our eyes, ears and most importantly - HANDS - in the rural communities!