Cape Town - A new student-led Interprofessional Education wellness centre in Mitchells Plain aims to alleviate the patient load from the state hospitals and clinics in the area.
Run by 3rd and 4th-year health science students across the Community and Health Science faculty from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the centre is based on the premises of the Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital.
Dr Luzaan Africa, lecturer at the Faculty of Community and Health Science, said the centre, which opened a week ago, was in the works for some time.
To map a course for its future patient load reduction, Africa and the centre’s role-players met with Mitchells Plain medical profession stakeholders yesterday.
“In a lot of cases it only benefits the patient or health-care professional but this concept benefits all stakeholders involved,” Africa said.
The wellness centre does not operate with a walk-in system but via referrals only.
Patients within the Mitchells Plain district area will be referred to the centre from the local community health clinics.
At the moment, the centre only provides physiotherapy, with other services like occupational therapy, nursing, and social workers coming on board soon. Field co-ordinator, Sakeenah Abrahams, said currently they see about 10 patients a day, but this is expected to increase.
“We work on a booking system, they will have an appointment. They will come from a referral point,” she said.
Zigaphi Sivuka, a 4th-year physiotherapy student, said they receive many patients from the Mitchells Plain clinic. She said although most of the cases are physio-related; they are there to merge with other services to care for patients.
“We are here to merge all the health professionals, you come for one thing but if we detect something else the other service is on hand to assist,” Sivuka said.
Mitchells Plain community activist, Lynn Phillips, said waiting periods at clinics should be alleviated.
“We need services that will alleviate the waiting because when people go for medication, they get dates and it is not helping. It’s making them more sick because they are stressed while standing there. Healthcare is critical for our seniors.”
Cape Argus