Phelophepa Healthcare Train

The train consists of a power car equipped with its own power generator that provides electricity to the train when stationary. The train is composed of: laundry/storage coach, kitchen care, dining care, four accommodation coaches, for the live in doctors and medical students, two eye clinic coaches, one dental coach and one coach shared by the dental and counselling clinic, health clinic, pharmacy and office/edu-clinic. Partnerships between various government departments, the private sector, and the Canon Collins Education Trust of Southern Africa.  The services the train provides in the stationed two-week period include: basic  primary healthcare, HIV/AIDS education, cancer testing, and diabetic screening, eye testing, with the provision of spectacles, oral health education, dental restorative processes and extractions, individual counselling and community counselling workshops. The train also provides additional services such as home-based care training, HIV/AIDS awareness programmes, assists Orphans and vulnerable children to access social support grants, conducts TB screening and trains people to start their own food gardens.

Innovation

The Phelophepa Healthcare train is a world-class innovative idea that does the following:

• Uses a train to provide health care to rural communities usually denied health facilities and services;
• Provides high quality care to the marginalised;
• Uses medical students to administer the services whilst overseen by 17 specialists, providing them with invaluable experiential training;
• Communities are prepared for the train visit in advance. They recieve training to assist with the security on-site, the patients administration, and aid doctors and students with the provision of services.

Effectiveness

Seventeen specialists are employed on a full-time basis while, 37 university students come to assist every two weeks. Since inception 1,5 million people have been reached and 227,711 school children visited the train. Of these 162,883 children were screened, while 390,882 received basic health care education. Counselling workshops were held with 117,553 adults and 145,581 children. Where applicable, patients are charged between R5-30. Since 2002, 1,443 people received home-based care training, while the AIDS Action programme has educated 719 volunteers who educate their communities about HIV/AIDS.

Poverty Impact

At each stop, 58-56 locals support the staff and act as interpreters and cashiers and receive an incentive of R30-60per week. The project has a major impact on the lives of the poor as it reaches people who do not have access to these services. People who use the service pay R30 for spectacles and R10 to have a tooth extracted, while receiving free counselling, where appropriate.

Sustainability

The total cost of the programme is ± R25 million per annum. Cost per head is ± R20 and is based on the number of individuals that are reached annually. Transnet Foundation provides 45% funding and the balance comes from external donors. Funding is secured for the next three years.

Replication

The Minister of Public Enterprise has requested the building of a second train to be operational by 2011. This model has proved itself since inception and similar models can be executed in other African countries where health infrastructure is either not in place or not fully equipped. A second train will allow Transnet to reach an additional ± 2 million people per annum.

Partnerships

• National and Provincial Departments:
• Public Enterprises
• Health
• Safety and Security
• Education
• Social Development and Welfare
• Small Projects Foundation
• Transnet Foundation
• St John’s Red Cross Society
• Private Sector
• Roche Products
• Colgate-Palmolive Foundation
• The Canon Collins Educational Trust for Southern Africa

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