Probe into rural mobile clinics

THE Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference’s (SACBC) Justice and Peace Commission has requested the SA Human Rights Commission to investigate rights violations and lack of mobile clinic services in some rural areas.

While the SACBC has commended the Department of Health for introducing mobile health services in remote rural areas, they are however concerned that ‘in some rural areas the mobile service system is dysfunctional and ineffective in addressing health needs of communities.’ SACBC Chairman Bishop Abel Gabuza said in communities such as Hlambanyathi in Hlabisa‚ Ophondweni in Mtubatuba and Nkotswi in Limpopo‚ mobile clinics are unavailable for weeks, and sometimes months, during the rainy season because of low bridges being flooded and roads being impassable.

Gabuza said delivery problems include drug stock shortages, capacity challenges as a result of growing rural populations and poorly located mobile sites.

‘We’ve asked the Human Rights Commission to consider a national investigative hearing into the state of mobile clinics in remote rural communities in South Africa,’ Gabuza said.

‘The purpose would be to obtain a greater understanding of the challenges facing such communities and the Health Department and identify practical measures to address these.’