To
enhance healthcare access for farm workers and vulnerable communities, a new
mobile health clinic vehicle has been donated to the Bedford and Adelaide
communities.
This initiative, funded by Cookhouse Wind Farm in partnership with
the Department of Health (DOH) and the Cookhouse Wind Farm Community Trust, is
part of a broader Primary Health Care Project aimed at providing free and
accessible healthcare services to residents across 71 farms, addressing
critical health needs in remote areas.
Lifa Baskiti, community liaison officer for Cookhouse Wind Farm said, “The programme is designed to overcome the
challenges faced by farm workers, who often work long hours and find it
difficult to access healthcare services during standard clinic operating times.
By bringing healthcare directly to their doorstep, the mobile clinic ensures
that these workers no longer have to allocate a portion of their wages for
transportation to distant clinics.
The mobile clinic, along with a ward-based
outreach team, offers a range of services, including health education,
medication administration, follow-ups, and referrals. The outreach team,
consisting of two community health care workers stationed at the Nomakhwezi
Makhenyane Clinic in Adelaide and the Nomzamo Clinic in Bedford, focuses on
patients with mobility issues and those who are bedridden, ensuring that no one
is left without the care they need.
Phumlani George, mobile clinic supervisor and nurse, expressed his gratitude to Cookhouse Wind Farm and the Cookhouse Wind
Farm Community Trust.
“This upgrade is truly beneficial for our community. The new clinic
is spacious, with two dedicated rooms, one for examinations and another for
consultations, and equipped with top-quality equipment,” said George.
By addressing these healthcare challenges, the
initiative aims to improve the quality of life for farm workers and other
vulnerable groups, who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional healthcare
systems. The programme has already created five jobs, further contributing to
the local economy.
One community member said, “We’re grateful to have access to the
mobile clinic now. Before, we had to wake up very early and hitchhike to the
Adelaide clinic, often waiting for hours because other patients had pre-booked
appointments. It was also expensive to travel there. This service has made a
big difference.”
The initiative was developed in response to a
baseline study conducted in 2015, where community members expressed the urgent
need for accessible healthcare services.
Recognising the gaps in the current
system, Cookhouse Wind Farm, in collaboration with the DOH and the Community
Trust, stepped in to bridge this gap.
The vehicle donated by the Trust is dedicated
exclusively to the Bedford and Adelaide areas, ensuring consistent and reliable
service within the community.
The Department of Health continues to support the
initiative by providing medication and managing the vehicle as part of its
fleet, while the Nightingale Care Trust funds the salaries of the primary
healthcare staff.
