Pretoria - Eskom’s mobile health service programme is due to visit four provinces on a health drive soon to reduce the health-related barriers faced by children.
The initiative is in line with the commitment made by the Eskom Development Foundation to provide a mobile service to learners in schools located in the rural areas where Eskom operates.
Between 18 – 29 May 2015, Eskom’s four mobile units will visit rural schools in the four provinces of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, with each school being allocated a period of at least three days depending on the amount of children to be screened.
Since the launch of these units, a total of more than 8 690 learners in 114 schools of which 216 received spectacles and 1 664 were referred to clinics/ hospitals with severe conditions.
It is anticipated that 9 790 learners would have been screened by June 2015.
The mobile clinics have a dedicated and competent team of medical staff to perform screenings and examinations which includes a professional nurse, optometrist and dentist.
The programme was approved in 2013 as part of the Eskom Development Foundation’s national health programme, and it includes four mobile units to the value of R40.9 million.
The programme is made up of two mobile units in Mpumalanga (Gert Sibande and Nkangala), one in Limpopo (Lephalale) and one mobile unit to be shared between KwaZulu-Natal and Free State (Ingula).
“These are very poor communities with very little means or finances to have access to health services. The funding includes the running and maintenance of the four units, including all consumables on each unit for the period.
“This project is done in partnership with the respective Departments of Health and Departments of Education in the provinces,” said Eskom on Wednesday.
The Eskom Development Foundation is responsible for the coordination and execution of Eskom’s corporate social investment (CSI) strategy in support of Eskom’s business imperatives. - SAnews.gov.za
