Cape Town - Forget Chicago Med or Greys Anatomy, this group of doctors from Cape Town are bringing healthcare and dentistry to the doorstep of the poor.
A few weeks ago, GIS health and wellness, which is Good Islamic Society Wellness Centre Community Outreach, Allied Health Professions travelled with a container which had dentist theatres aboard.
Their aim is to provide healthcare services, including mental health and paediatrics and to offer medical assistance, as well as treatment for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes checks and counselling.
During each excursion to areas such as Delft or Lavender Hill, close to 400 patients are treated for free by doctors, dentists, partitions, pharmacists and volunteers who are offering their time for free together with Allied Health.
And just like in the movies, they are raw and out in the field, with rolled-up sleeves, screens placed between patients and working out of mobile surgeries to treat the less fortunate.
GIS was established in 2003 and runs a wellness centre in Goodwood which is currently not in use due to flooding.
The wellness centre began under the auspices of the Goodwood Mosque and under the guidance of Sheikh Ebrahim Tofa, the chairman of the mosque.
For the first time since the pandemic began, the panel of doctors, nurses and dentists, paediatrics, pharmacist and volunteers found themselves in Lavender Hill where they treated close to 400 patients in one day.
Dr Nasira Essa, who has a dentistry surgery in Maitland, is one of the doctors who dedicates her personal time to the less fortunate. She said the wellness treatment began at the mosque and grew.
“It started out as a wellness day at the mosque and people came to check their BP or cholesterol,” she said.
“It grew into us hosting a full wellness day where educational talks were being held.
“In 2018, we kicked off with the wellness centre which was next to the mosque, which is a surgery.”
Essa said she and several doctors began their outreach programme where they were taking services to the people at no cost.
They first set up a tent where they had chairs and jumped into in action.
“We did extractions in the field,” she said.
“GPs did screening for weight, BMI (body mass index), blood pressure and blood sugar levels.”
Then the pandemic hit and their outreach project had to be packed away and all hands were on deck fighting the invisible enemy.
Now, in 2022, they are continuing their good work.
In Lavender Hill, they saw 370 patients on one day in June, with 12 dentists with five dental sets where they treated 250 people for extractions.
“We saw 370 patients and this was one of the most successful outreach days,” she said.
“We had drug counsellors, speech therapists, dentists, medical field and Allied Health and doctors from all disciplines.
“We had 12 dentists and five dentists sets which were partitioned inside a hall and everything was mobile.
“We did 250 extractions, 44 people had cleansing done which amounted to (services worth) more than R90 000 but were free of charge.
“We had a pharmacy on board which would dispense medication after patients had been screened and seen by the doctor who would write up prescriptions.
“The dream of Sheikh Ebrahim Tofa is to have a fully-fledged mobile hospital in the future.”
Patients were also treated with gift bags and food.
Dr Riyaadh Dawood, who works at a local clinic, is passionate about their outreach programme.
He said they treated over 140 people in Lavender Hill.
“We had doctors, nurses and students and the assistance of volunteers and we did the screening, checking people’s BP or glucose.
“Children were seen by paediatrics.
“And if we saw a patient had an issue with BP, we would do a consultation and counselling and write them a script for the weekend and a referral letter for their doctor or clinic or day hospital and give them detailed advice on how to manage the condition.”
Crime fighter and from the security sector, Ridwaan Nero, said: “I was asked to get on board for the safety and security of the doctors,” he said.
“Executive Proactive Security Services also came on board.
“It was the doctors’ initiative and we supplied the safety of the medical personnel.”