Cape Town - A medical outreach programme hosted by Gift of the Givers (GOTG) in Touws River over the weekend was a resounding success according to the organisation after hundreds of residents from the rural community and surrounding areas pitched up for a chance to be seen by the doctors.
The intervention team, which consisted of a specialised team of 40 doctors from various disciplines, descended on the rural town to provide much-needed health-care services to the area’s residents after pleas from the community for help.
GOTG Founder Imitiaz Sooliman said: “The medical outreach camp was a huge success. We saw over 1000 patients in just six hours, many being dental patients.
“We found that many children had been walking around for weeks on end in pain, suffering from toothaches, because of the absence of a dental care system.
“When our dentists got to work there was a huge relief from children and parents. Our teams were busy in all divisions, and for the first time, we had added physiotherapy to what we do. That team saw 40 patients.
“We also noted that about 500 patients required some form of eye care. However, a separate programme will be arranged for that.”
The medical outreach initiative also provided the non-government organisation with the opportunity to assess the condition of the community’s exhausted health care system, findings of which it plans to hand over to the Western Cape Health MEC today.
Sooliman said: “We compiled a report of our intervention as we had planned. What we found will be discussed with the Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo today at a meeting we arranged before we went to Touws River. Thereafter we expect a decision will be taken as to what type of decisive action must be instituted in the area.
“Above all, we brought hope and dignity to a community who thought they had to continue suffering, who thought they were irrelevant, insignificant and unimportant. As GOTG we changed all that,” said Sooliman.
A few days before the medical team’s outreach programme, GOTG’s Western Cape Medical Team co-ordinator, Dr Naeem Kathrada, visited the area to prepare and plan for the medical camp to follow.
Kathrada said: “Touws Rivier is a town that depends on the tourism industry. I think most of the residents were working at a game reserve in the area before the pandemic saw it shut down. They also only have one clinic managed by one nurse and a doctor who comes in once a week, which means not everybody can be seen.
“When we received calls for assistance, we came over last week to scope the situation. As soon as I arrived I was approached by children who had been struggling with toothaches. I couldn’t attend to them all, but I helped out a few here and there.”