Clinic on the move - Bringing basic health care to the doorsteps of remote communities

A unique public private partnership – The Mister Sister Mobile Primary Health Care Clinics – was launched in Okahandja on 15 June. This partnership will provide regular mobile primary health care services to rural and remote populations.  Research found that one of the greatest challenges for rural communities is the large distances to access health care – up to 99km just to see a doctor.  The Mister Sister partnership aims to improve the primary health care access by introducing three trucks converted to mobile clinics that will visit these communities on a regular and frequent basis.

The Mister Sister Mobile Primary Health Care Clinics are managed by PharmAccess Foundation Namibia, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the strengthening of the Namibian Health System.  With the financial support of the Heineken Africa Foundation, through the Ohlthaver and List Group of Companies and Namibia Breweries Ltd, a brand new mobile clinic has been commissioned and was launched by the Special Advisor to the Governor, Ms Muashekele-Sibiya, the Mayor Of Okahandja Mr Urikhob,  and the Director of the Otjozondjupa Regional Directorate, Mr P Angala, at the event. The mobile clinic is supported through an innovative partnership structure comprised of public and private contributions and a unique operational partnership agreement between PharmAccess and the Ministry of Health and Social Services

Dr Tumba, Mr PC Angala, Honourable Governor Kamehozu,Mayor Urikhob, Ingrid de Beer,Honourable Regional Counsellor Booys

Fixed Route
The mobile clinics will provide mobile health services to rural and remote populations on a fixed route schedule in the Otjozondjupa, Omaheke and Khomas regions. The core target group for this programme are rural employees, and their dependents (adults, children and babies) whose employers contribute towards the cost of the healthcare through annual subscription and premium contributions.  Poor communities, pensioners and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) on the mobile clinic route will receive the same service paid for by the contributions of medication from the Ministry of Health, donors and corporate sponsorships.

The mobile clinic personnel comprises a registered nurse, an enrolled nurse and a driver, who is also trained to assist with administrative duties and health education. In addition to the preventative and curative health services provided, the personnel take pride in providing health education to individuals, groups and communities. Patients who require the services of a doctor or hospital and cannot be treated within the scope of practice of the nurse in the mobile clinic will be referred to the nearest public health facility for care.

The Mister Sister Mobile Clinic is supported by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and proudly sponsored by the Heineken Africa Foundation through the Ohlthaver and List Group of Companies and Namibia Breweries Limited who have committed to purchasing three mobile clinics between 2010 and 2012.  Technical assistance to the programme is provided through PharmAccess Foundation funded by the Health Insurance Fund and further support is provided by NABCOA and the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP).

Click here to read a summary on the launch

See the Namibian and the Sun for two newsarticles on the launch