A new student-led Interprofessional Education (IPE) wellness centre in Mitchells Plain aims to alleviate the load from state hospitals and clinics in the area.
The centre is based at the Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital and will be run by third and fourth-year health science students across the Community and Health Science faculty at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
Dr Luzaan Africa of the Faculty of Community and Health Science says that the centre has been planned for some time.
She says the idea around the centre is to remove the red tape around who is allowed to see the patient and which system they should go through.
“The patients can now be seen by all the students.”
She says centre will see better access for patients to quality health care and improved health outcomes.
To map a course for the centre's future patient load reduction, Africa and the centre's role players met with Mitchells Plain medical profession stakeholders yesterday.
The centre would operate on a referral basis only, and no walk-ins would be allowed. Patients in Mitchells Plain will be referred from the local community health clinics (CHC).
At the moment the centre only offers physiotherapy but other services such as occupational therapy, nursing, and social workers will be being roped in soon.
Sakeenah Abrahams, the field coordinator, adds: “For now we see about 10 patients per day but it is going to increase. We work on a booking system, they will have an appointment.”
Zigaphi Sivuka, a fourth-year physiotherapy student says they are taking a holistic approach to healthcare: “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.”
byron.lukas@inl.co.za