By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Stephen Molete says the Phelophepa Health Train saved him thousands of rand he would otherwise have taken from groceries and family expenses.
- The health train sees about 2,000 patients each week, offering eye care, dental treatment, health checks and pharmacy services at little or no cost.
For pensioner Stephen Molete, getting a new pair of glasses could have meant taking money away from groceries and helping his children.
Instead, the 66-year-old Soweto resident says he paid just R30 for an eye test and glasses at the Phelophepa Health Train.
Molete visited the train at Dube Station in Soweto after struggling with his eyesight for about 10 years.
He is short sighted and says his poor vision makes it difficult for him to drive at night or over long distances.
But buying glasses privately was a major financial challenge.
Molete said a new pair would have cost him about R4,000, money he simply could not comfortably afford to spend.
“Spending so much money on glasses would mean I will have to cut down on helping my children financially and reduce some policies,” Molete said.
He said groceries would also have suffered if he had been forced to spend R4,000 on his eyesight.
Molete has no other income and relies on his R2,400 pension.
That money must help support his wife and three children, while also covering expenses such as groceries and petrol.
“This has helped me a lot and it’s still going to help me a lot because I’m a pensioner,” he said.
The Phelophepa Health Train arrived in Soweto on 13 August and will remain there until 21 August before moving to Vereeniging.
The train provides several healthcare services to communities, including eye care, dental treatment, health screenings and pharmacy services.
Most of the services are free. Some services that include medication cost between R5 and R10.
For people like Molete, the low cost means they can receive healthcare without having to choose between their health and everyday household needs.
Bheki Mendlula, the Transnet train manager, said eye care is currently the most popular service.
Residents from Dube and surrounding areas have arrived in such large numbers that demand has sometimes been higher than the train can handle.
Mendlula told Scrolla.Africa that more than 80 people are seen for eye care every day.
Around 2,000 people use the train every week across its different healthcare services.
“We are happy to see people so eager to take care of their health. They came in big numbers,” Mendlula said.
The train also has laboratories and facilities that allow some services to be completed quickly.
Mendlula said patients receiving glasses do not have to wait for weeks or months. They can receive their glasses on the same day.
For Molete, that means clearer vision without losing thousands of rand from the small amount of money his family depends on.
“We want a healthy nation. We want people to be productive and life expectancy to increase,” Mendlula said.
Pictured above: Soweto pensioner Stephen Molete says the Phelophepa Health Train saved him about R4,000 on an eye test and glasses.
Image source: Supplied
