63 High-tech mobile clinics for Western Cape

PROVINCIAL NEWS - This week the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness officially launched 63 new and replacement mobile clinics, bringing quality healthcare services closer to rural and remote communities across the province.

This R119-million investment aims to ensure that every resident, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality healthcare.

Through this initiative, 57 outdated mobile clinics will be replaced, and six additional units will be added to strengthen the School Health Programme.

These mobile clinics operate across the Western Cape’s five rural districts, delivering essential healthcare services to deep rural areas including farms, and communities not easily reached by fixed facilities.

They will provide preventative care services, vaccinations, and the delivery of chronic medication among others.

The new mobile clinics also include six units dedicated to school health services, allowing the department to expand its reach and improve health outcomes for learners.

To ensure these vehicles are fully utilised, six professional nurses have been appointed and will provide an integrated school health service which includes health screening, dental care, vaccinations, and other healthcare assessments and referrals where necessary.

Speaking at the launch on Monday 5 April, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, said healthcare infrastructure is about more than just bricks and mortar.

"These mobile clinics are healthcare on wheels, bringing services directly to the people in the West Coast, Cape Winelands, Overberg, Garden Route and Central Karoo.

"They will make a real difference to communities that face long journeys to access care. This is how we bring dignity and quality closer to home,” Wenger said.

Back from left: Anthonie Janse van Rensburg, Jannie Voges, Izak Wessels, Mark Ismail, Dr Lizette Phillips and Minister Mireille Wenger. Seated in front: Corne Engelbrecht (back left), Sr Elsabe Bailey (left), Sr Samantha Miggels (middle) and Sr Reone Strydom (right).

Developed in partnership with the Mobility Department, the mobile clinics have been custom designed with the direct input of frontline nurses.

The frontline nurses' feedback has helped create a more comfortable and functional experience for both staff and patients.

Improvements include higher ceilings for better ventilation and comfort for taller patients, mounted electronic equipment such as blood pressure monitors, and articulated exam lights, enhancing both efficiency and patient care.

Each mobile clinic is also equipped with a solar inverter, ensuring healthcare services are rendered optimally in any location.

Dr Keith Cloete, Head of the Department of Health and Wellness, expressed his pride in the milestone. “These mobile clinics represent our unwavering dedication towards an educated, healthy and caring society.

"Not only are these vehicles meticulously designed and constructed by the user - our mobile health nursing staff who will be spending every day in these vehicles - it also signifies how we respond to the healthcare needs of our communities in the most remote locations.

We are extremely thankful to our colleagues from Mobility for the way they showed up and worked with us until we have a purpose-built product everyone is proud of.”

Commending the Rural Health Service team and their partners in the Department of Mobility for their commitment, Dr Lizette Phillips, Chief Director of Rural Health Services for the Department of Health and Wellness, said that the launch is the culmination of over three years’ investment in planning and listening to health staff and communities.

“We went to great lengths to ensure that every resident, no matter how remote, receives the dignity of accessible, quality healthcare.

"Listening to our mobile health staff and incorporating their expertise and practical experience into the design of these custom vehicles also ensures that we can provide our dedicated staff with a dignified service delivery experience.”

Provincial Minister of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, stressed the importance of working together. "This partnership ensures that no community is left behind. Mobility is more than just about transport, it is about driving dignity, delivery opportunity, and moving lives forward.”

Six of the new mobile health clinics.

Anthonie Janse van Rensburg, Acting Chief Director: Government Motor Transport (GMT), said the Mobility Department is privileged to have been part of this journey.