Download PDFIn the community of Braam Fischerville (in Soweto, about 25kms south west of Johannesburg), there are very few healthcare facilities or even health campaigns to accommodate the community. This is a problem as these campaigns are essential but all the health services and facilities are in the neighbouring communities. Braam Fischerville residents have trouble accessing these spaces as you need to travel there with taxis and they would be grateful to know that there are people willing to assist them, especially anyone with chronic conditions and disabilities.
Some of the important campaigns the community is lacking include campaigns to assist the elderly and anyone else with chronic conditions. These people often have trouble in reaching the healthcare facilities and receiving the services they need. Another campaign that would help is the mass COVID-19 testing and vaccination campaigns, that would assist many people to know if they are infected and ensure that more people get vaccinated.
This is also now most essential considering how the elderly or anyone within the community have trouble receiving the vaccine and even registering for it.
A 60-year-old woman who has been living in Braam Fischerville for the past 10 years said; “It is quite difficult to get to the clinic especially if I do not have money to take the Roodepoort taxi there.” She also said that she would like to get the vaccine to be safe from the coronavirus.
She wishes that she had easier access to the clinic to get the vaccine and would appreciate the assistance of Community Healthcare Workers. According to the lady; “there were people who came around to do [COVID-19] testing here in the community but one day they just stopped”.
These campaigns should not end with or be limited to the assisting the elderly but should also assist the youth, women and the broader community. They can also increase the participation of the youth and community members in the matters that affect them.
This article was submitted on 17 July 2021. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
