THE face of the Healthy Mom and Baby Clinic’s mobile clinic, Sister Jakkie van Niekerk, has put her plans for retirement on hold to head up a mobile outreach programme.
The programme will serve the outlying impoverished communities of Ebumnyameni, Donkerhoek and Ocean View.
“With a special focus on mothers and the first 1 000 days of their babies’ lives, the mobile clinic will take much-needed health care services to the community,” says Van Niekerk, who is blessed with a great deal of energy and a love for caring for the local community.
“Home visits will form a vital part of the programme and plans are in place to increase community visits to three days a week.”
It is hoped that a shelter can be built in the near future, to protect patients in the Donkerhoek area from extreme weather conditions – especially young children.
“I just love my work,” says Van Niekerk, who worked for the Department of Health Care for over 20 years on a mobile clinic in Humansdorp and surrounding areas – providing health care to 20 to 30 patients a day.
“I love working with people and to be able to examine and diagnose those in need.
“It is amazing to see how they benefit from our services.”
- Funding received from the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm is utilised to support the mobile clinic’s operational costs, and the employment of a nurse assistant and full-time professional nurse.
