In an effort to empower and educate community-care workers in Langa, fourth-year medical students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) hosted a health-awareness programme at Ikhaya Labantu on Wednesday 17 June.

Organisations represented at the event included Kheth’Impilo, Sizamile, Nkanyezi and Ikhaya Labantu.

UCT students give back through community health outreach

Speaking on behalf of the UCT students, Mashudu Mugwedi described the outreach programme as a way of giving back to the community. She said the aim was to educate caregivers about the dangers of hypertension and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Mugwedi described hypertension as a “silent killer” and said many community care workers had limited clinical training.

Building clinical skills in the community

“We want to empower them in how to measure blood pressure and improve their clinical skills. Some caregivers do not fully understand what hypertension is and the dangers associated with it. Most of them do not receive formal clinical training, so we felt it was important to intervene and equip them with these essential skills.”

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She added caregivers play a crucial role in educating patients about healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices that can help prevent and manage hypertension.

Zintle Madosi of Kheth’Impilo described the event as informative and educational, that the sessions were valuable and would help improve the care care workers provide to community members.

The dangers of sharing medication

“I also learnt it is dangerous for people to share medication, even if they have similar illnesses. Some people who have high blood pressure share their tablets with others without a doctor’s consent, which can be harmful.”

Ikhaya Labantu Facility Manager Tinotenda Muhungu said UCT continued to provide a unique and much-needed service by training care workers and enhancing their skills through workshops and interactions with health professionals, particularly those operating locally.

Strengthening community healthcare partnerships

“We are grateful and honoured as Ikhaya Labantu to have hosted this capacity-building initiative, which brings organisations in Langa together and strengthens first-response health-care support at Ikhaya Labantu and within the broader community.”