Durban — An uMlazi Pastor Gugu Khumalo opened a clinic on Thursday. She said that the possibility of owning a clinic offering top-notch private primary health-care services never crossed her mind, but the July 2021 riots challenged her to aim for development.
The clinic provides accessible, advanced and quality private primary health care at affordable rates to poor communities.
“I lost everything during the looting in 2021. The odds were against us, and I had to ask myself if I should just give up or keep trying. But I knew I could not give up. I went back to the drawing board and started to seek help. I wrote proposals and realised that my wish for bringing health care to the community could be realised,” she said.
Khumalo, with the assistance of Rhiza Holdings opened the first Mpathy Clinic in the uMlazi township.
The clinic offers top equipment which is the latest in primary health-care technology including a 3D ultrasound machine and tele-medicine services allowing patients to consult a doctor five days a week, whereas public facilities typically only provide access to a General Practitioner (GP) on certain days of the week.
Mpathy Clinics, powered by global pharmaceutical company Viatris and the Contribute Foundation, enable and empower women to eventually own the health-care facility, which provides accessible, advanced and quality private primary health-care at affordable rates.
Khumalo said that although she is not a nurse by profession, her passion for community development and empowerment has led her to this path.
She further said that being a pastor, having to take care of people spiritually, she wanted to make sure that people were also taken care of physically, and holistically.
Khumalo said that she is excited for the people in her community and that with the clinic being close by, people will no longer have to travel and go and queue for long hours, because all services will be near home.
"I must say I was both emotional and excited... emotional for seeing a dream becoming a reality. After everything I went through giving my all, the late nights, all the hard work and finally it came to pass," she said.
Khumalo said being a private clinic, boasting the latest in primary health-care technology, fees are a fraction of the cost of seeing a private doctor, with consultation raging between R100 and R300.
“A lot of people in uMlazi are defaulting on taking their medication because the nearest public clinic is too far. We knew we needed to do something. When the clinic opens its doors, I know that patients will be lining up to seek medical care,” Khumalo said.
She said that safety should not be an issue as the clinic is fully secured in a gated perimeter fenced property with 24-hour armed response guard service.
Providing services in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal and the Free State, Rhiza Holdings has always advocated for public-private-partnerships that help community development efforts work more efficiently.
This partnership is one of the ways the government is initiating working relationships with community organisations in impoverished areas to increase access to primary health care.
The clinics’ health-care programmes are intended to service the specific needs of the communities they exist in, and as such the NPO has built a strong relationship with its communities as well as the state bodies it works with in those areas.
Services are tailored to the community requirements, such as emergency services, chronic disease management, child health and immunizations, reproductive health, HCT (HIV counselling, testing, ARVs), and other services.
Rhiza Holdings health care manager Lerato Seheri said opening an Mpathy Clinic during Women’s Month was significant as the aim of the nursepreneur project was to empower women.
“Here's how the model operates: We secure funding to establish a fully equipped clinic, covering all medical equipment and supplies. The clinic is expected to break even within 18 months. After breaking even, the nurse (service provider) repays the loan interest-free over the next five to seven years. Once the repayment is complete Gugu Khumalo, will own the clinic. This is a franchise model that includes comprehensive support throughout the process.”
Seheri, who leads a team compromising of only women, said the model empowers women in communities and creates jobs while providing affordable health care.
“Women empowerment is crucial for advancing health care in our communities,” she said.
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