A Wellness Day hosted by the Mpunzana Development Association for Mpunzana and surrounding villages, has brought specialist healthcare services that many rural villagers only dream of having to their doorstep.
The Wellness Day, hosted at Dumalisile Junior Secondary School in Mqanduli, saw specialist healthcare professionals, such as dentists, ear, nose and throat specialists (ENT), audiologists, and cancer screenings being offered free of charge to hundreds of villagers who came to access the services on offer.
Mpunzana Development Association chairperson, Professor Sithembiso Velaphi, said that the association has been hosting the wellness day annually for the past four years.
Last year, through the wellness initiative, 11 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer, while another was found to have a life-threatening heart condition.
The Wellness Day was hosted in partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Health, and patients found to be suffering from chronic diseases are referred to specialist doctors at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha.
He added that they were not only focusing on healthcare services, but also help with mobilising resources such as bursaries for tertiary education for their villagers, donating school uniforms to destitute learners, as well as hosting an annual sporting tournament to keep the youth away from alcohol and substance abuse.
The association helped build classrooms and a hall at Dumalisile JSS, after they secured funding from the Japan Embassy.“Our association’s mission is to make our villages a world-class community with everyone at equal level in terms of access to healthcare, economic and social status,” added Velaphi.
Prominent doctor, Mthembeni Tebelele, who has gained popularity for his sexual and reproductive health advice on SABC’s Umhlobo Wenene FM, and member of the Mpunzana Development Association, added that they were happy with the number of people who came to the Wellness Day.
“When people come in their numbers it helps to detect diseases that can infect others quickly, to prevent them from spreading like wildfire in our communities,” said Tebelele.
The Mpunzana Development Association Wellness Day was held on October 27.
