The Clinic
The school clinic is geographically situated in the middle of the St James site, handy for both the secondary girls and for the primary children.
The clinic was purpose built in the early 1990s and has a purpose built reception area, a couple of consultation spaces and a hospital ward with four beds if patients require monitoring for longer periods.
A fully qualified nurse, Sister Dorcas and her assistant Sister Catherine Itayi staff the clinic. The nurses are very organised and run clinic sessions early in the morning for minor ailments such as headaches, bites and stings whilst being on call much of the time having their home close to the clinic to attend in an emergency.
These two sisters along with Sister Joyline are members of the Order of the Holy Fire, so faith sisters as well as nursing sisters.
The clinic gets a grant from the government for basic drugs such as paracetamol as well as administering drugs for HIV carriers. It is testament to Sister Dorcas that there has only been one death of aids in the last two years and this was as a result of a late diagnosis by a patient who did not engage with the clinic but lived locally. The clinic currently supports 263 HIV patients by providing anti-retroviral drugs.
The clinic also delivers babies for mothers in the immediate community around the mission. It is a further 20km to get to Nyamandhlovu hospital along a very poor road so St James is a lifeline in an emergency even without a doctor on hand.
The clinic has also had a focus on malaria education in the community, resulting in mosquito nets being given out to local families. Eradication of malaria in the area is now well on, as tested by outside agencies. Sister Dorcas’s maps and records showing cases of the disease, the location of the illness and treatments given are very impressive.
The clinic also administers life-saving vaccinations to all the pre-school and primary school children on the mission. This has made an enormous difference to the health of the under 5’s, particularly with a regular lunchtime meal for the pre-schoolers and primary school children, supplied by FSJMS. This two pronged support is literally a life-saver.
FSJMS helped to build the clinic in the 1990’s but we are now only able to support small additional gifts as a major donor has had to retire. We hope to continue with some grants in order that the high standards currently being practised can continue to help the community in the foreseeable future.
The clinic was purpose built in the early 1990s and has a purpose built reception area, a couple of consultation spaces and a hospital ward with four beds if patients require monitoring for longer periods.
A fully qualified nurse, Sister Dorcas and her assistant Sister Catherine Itayi staff the clinic. The nurses are very organised and run clinic sessions early in the morning for minor ailments such as headaches, bites and stings whilst being on call much of the time having their home close to the clinic to attend in an emergency.
These two sisters along with Sister Joyline are members of the Order of the Holy Fire, so faith sisters as well as nursing sisters.
The clinic gets a grant from the government for basic drugs such as paracetamol as well as administering drugs for HIV carriers. It is testament to Sister Dorcas that there has only been one death of aids in the last two years and this was as a result of a late diagnosis by a patient who did not engage with the clinic but lived locally. The clinic currently supports 263 HIV patients by providing anti-retroviral drugs.
The clinic also delivers babies for mothers in the immediate community around the mission. It is a further 20km to get to Nyamandhlovu hospital along a very poor road so St James is a lifeline in an emergency even without a doctor on hand.
The clinic has also had a focus on malaria education in the community, resulting in mosquito nets being given out to local families. Eradication of malaria in the area is now well on, as tested by outside agencies. Sister Dorcas’s maps and records showing cases of the disease, the location of the illness and treatments given are very impressive.
The clinic also administers life-saving vaccinations to all the pre-school and primary school children on the mission. This has made an enormous difference to the health of the under 5’s, particularly with a regular lunchtime meal for the pre-schoolers and primary school children, supplied by FSJMS. This two pronged support is literally a life-saver.
FSJMS helped to build the clinic in the 1990’s but we are now only able to support small additional gifts as a major donor has had to retire. We hope to continue with some grants in order that the high standards currently being practised can continue to help the community in the foreseeable future.
