Cape Town - Disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers (GOTG), often offering respite to overlooked and resource-deprived communities, is preparing an 80-strong team for its second medical intervention in Touws River on Saturday.
With a population of less than 10 000, the town located about 160km north-east of Cape Town is plagued by high unemployment and lack of access to basic essential services such as medical care. The nearest hospital, Worcester Hospital, is an hour away, adding a further burden of commuting for the struggling community.
GOTG had first provided medical intervention with 50 medical volunteers in February, and will be returning to Touws River Primary School with an expanded multi-disciplinary team after witnessing the dire need.
“The chance encounter by one of our team members of a child writhing with severe tooth pain led to the discovery of an entire population severely deprived of health services, clearly confirmed when our 50-member multi-disciplinary medical team intervened to address the health needs,” the organisation’s founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, said.
“But the real tragedy was the number of patients, young and old, who couldn’t see because of defective vision. All they required was an eye test and a pair of spectacles, a simple intervention that would have prevented years of disability, rendering them functionally incapable.”
Sooliman said the public health system had failed them along with so many others in the country.
The team will include optometry services (visual testing), and ophthalmologists (cataract screening), gynaecologists, paediatricians, dentists, physiotherapists, audiologists, dieticians, nurses and paramedics with accompanying ambulances.
GOTG provincial medical team head, Dr Naeem Kathrada, said the foundation would be assisted by the African Eye Institute, service provider for the Western Cape Government Optometry Services, Cape Peninsula University of Technology students from the paramedic services and ophthalmic sciences department, and UWC dentistry students.
“The last time we were there in February, there was a lady that needed a full set of dentures and there were no services in that area. What was being advised was that she needs to travel to Tygerberg Hospital to get a set of dentures.
“Now that’s like a two-hour drive and generally you’re going to need a minimum of four appointments. That just doesn’t work.”
In Cape Town, GOTG has about 150 medical volunteers from across specialities. During the first one-day intervention, the team saw close to 1000 patients.
Compassionate Hearts Touwsriver co-founder Rashaad Baker said the local clinic closed on weekends, leaving the community reliant on an ambulance to take them to Worcester Hospital.
“Patients who needed urgent medical assistance over weekends could wait for between four to six hours for an ambulance, and once there would wait for hours to be seen by a doctor.
“People in this town face many challenges from unemployment to poverty,” said Baker. GOTG will also be distributing food on the day.