TRANSNET’s life train, Phelophepha, is FULL of people traveling to Makhwezini, Kwesakwa Mthethwa, Mfolozi, to deliver various health care.
This train, which is equipped with doctors for different diseases, travels to different places in South Africa. We have been visiting this place since Monday and we are expected to leave next Friday.
Among the help we bring to the community is for eye problems, teeth, mental counseling and others that are often expensive, if the patient says he will seek help from private doctors.
Another resident, Mrs. Ngenzeni Majola, said: “We have been greatly affected by the arrival of the train in our area. We have received the help we needed. Since we have arrived in the area, we have been affected because we often go to them when we want help.”
The manager of the train, Mr. Bheki Mendlula, said about Transnet, he said that we are assisting the Department of Health by bringing health care to different communities.
He said this is the first week in this area, and he said they will leave next Friday.
“We will see our people who are in rural areas, who need help with various diseases. We are helping with the help of psychiatrists, dentists, ophthalmologists, and we also have medicine dispensers,” said Mendlula.
He went on to say that since they arrived on Monday in the area, they realized that the biggest need is for eye problems.
“We see many people seeking help for eye problems. We will try our best to see as many as possible, although we will not be able to get rid of all of them, but we will try to push ourselves to see as many as possible,” he said.
He said that they produce glasses with the support they receive from Eskom and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation.
The Mayor of Mfolozi Municipality, Mr. Xolani Bhengu, is going to the train on Monday to welcome us, he said that they will make sure that those who are coming from far places, who have arrived the day before, are helped with sleeping facilities, so that they can get up early and get help.
“We have seen the excitement they have when it is said that the train is going to Mpangeni at the station, and people have already listened to it. We have received a report that some people came yesterday to sleep nearby. We will see how we can help them so that they do not end up sleeping on the seats,” said Bhengu.
Bengu said that their coming out in large numbers shows how much people need the help that the train brings.
He also applauded the recruitment of students from different universities, who are also given the opportunity to do a job placement program in this program.
“And local youth with university degrees, have picked up job opportunities as interpreters, interpreting for the elderly,” said Bhengu.