According to Anglo American Platinum, the mobile clinic is fitted with modern equipment and is valued at over R5-million. The handover formed part of the province's World Aids Day commemoration under the global theme 'Let Communities Lead', which is aimed at working towards ending AIDS in children by 2030.
The company says the mobile clinic is designed to provide a range of primary healthcare services such as audiology, dentistry and optometry. Anglo American Platinum enlisted the services of Tshikululu Trust to be the implementation partner for the donation.
Yvonne Mfolo, executive head of corporate affairs and sustainable impact at Anglo American Platinum, says, "This mobile clinic represents a culmination of our work to support communities in our labour-sending areas. It is places like the Eastern Cape that historically contributed through human capital to help us build an organisation that helps us to re-imagine mining to improve people's lives."
"The mobile clinic's offerings have been tailored to the realities that our people face and to the enduring work of building thriving communities not only where we operate but also where our people come from," adds Mfolo.
Eastern Cape member of the executive committee (MEC) for Health, Nomakhosazana Meth, welcomed the donation at the handover.
"We have always maintained that partnerships and collaborations are essential to address healthcare needs in the province. We are grateful to Anglo American Platinum for coming on board and lending a helping hand. This mobile clinic will assist us a great deal in reaching as many learners as possible as we strive to improve the quality of service we offer to everyone, including the future leaders of our province," Meth says.
A representative from the Tshikululu Trust says, "Partnering with the Eastern Cape Department of Health and Anglo American Platinum for this initiative is not just an investment in healthcare, it's a commitment to provide children with the invaluable gift of a healthier future. The Tshikululu Trust is proud to be part of this initiative to give these children the opportunity to thrive without being hindered by a lack of access to quality healthcare."
"Every child in South Africa has the right to a healthy future. The handover of this mobile health clinic, taking place on World Aids Day, serves as an important reminder that through awareness, education and access to medical resources, we can pave the way for a generation free from the burdens of this epidemic, as well as other preventable illnesses," adds the representative.
Anglo American Platinum says the mobile clinic forms part of Anglo American Platinum's 2021 Covid Unrest and Rebuild programme, where funding of R400-million was donated to support the reset and rebuild of South Africa.
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