COOKHOUSE Wind Farm’s primary healthcare flagship initiative, a public-private partnership with the Department of Health, is staffing a mobile clinic, to bring essential healthcare services to the rural farming communities in Bedford and Adelaide.
Since the mobile unit came into operation in June last year, a total of 46 farms have been serviced, treating a total of 2 235 patients, a truly significant impact.
Bongani Ntshayiya, who works at Waterfall Farm, is one of the many beneficiaries of this programme, a textbook example of how a socio-economic development programme, in partnership with government, can make a real difference.
Ntshayiya tells of how he previously had to request a full day off work, to access medical care. But now, because of the mobile clinic, both he and his family are able to be treated on the farm.
“This has helped me save money, relieve much stress and also saved me a lot of time,” he said.
As part of the Cookhouse Wind Farm Primary Healthcare Flagship Initiative, which was launched in January last year, five healthcare workers have been appointed.
These healthcare workers support the existing Primary Health Care Clinics in Bedford and Adelaide, with three of them being dedicated to providing healthcare services to the farming community within these towns.
Sharing his vision to reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to their nearest town, Elton Gordon, community operations manager at the Cookhouse Wind Farm said, “The clinic will ultimately relieve stress on many levels, beginning with members of communities, as quality healthcare can now be accessed within their immediate surroundings.”
The high impact pilot initiative has invested R2 million in the four beneficiary towns last year, with the aim of supporting quality primary healthcare through resourcing of public clinics.
