Lily Medical Centre

The Lily Medical Centre is located in the community of Mophela, a rural farming community where sugar cane is the driver for the local economy. In the past there has been very limited or no access to basic medical care in this community before the Lily Medical Centre was established. As a result, minor injuries were often left untreated until they healed naturally or deteriorated to near life threatening levels before the patient sought help by traveling outside of the community.

Medical Issues

Transportation is a problem for the average individual in this area and traveling outside of the community is considered a last resort of desperation. Prenatal care and pediatric care have been generally unavailable in this community leading to higher death rates related to child-birth and the healthcare needs of children under 5 years old. The incidence of HIV/AIDS is estimated at 20-40% in this community in general, however, women of childbearing age as a group are estimated to have a prevalence rate of infection approaching 60%. The availability of HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness is irregular. Testing and treatment are typically only available outside of this community. All of these issues are now the primary focus of this medical clinic since it opened in June of 2008. The community of Mophela currently has an unemployment rate of approximately 90%. As a result, the local people suffer significantly from poverty and associated healthcare challenges including malnutrition, infectious disease.

The Staffing and Programs

Sister Sihle Dlamini and clinic administration assistant Togo Gumede were hired in early 2008 and began their efforts with the opening of the clinic in June of that year. Local doctors from the area volunteer on a regular basis and are also supported by short term medical teams from international support groups, especially the U.K. In 2008, a new program for teach Community Homebased Care began which focuses on teaching people to care for the elderly, for those bedridden and for folks too sick to travel to medical facilities. The first training took place at the Lily Medical Centre shortly after it was opened and was advertised for 20 people. On the first day well over 100 arrived which demonstrated the tremendous need in the community for this type of service. Additional training has been and continues to be provided.

Geography

The Lily Medical Centre is located in the community of Mophela, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. KwaZulu-Natal, often referred to as "KZN", is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and all pieces of territory that made up the homeland of the Zulu people. The clinic is situated in the central region called the Natal Midlands, and area comprised of an undulating hilly plateau rising towards the west. To the East is the Indian Ocean. The clinic is approximately 90 minutes by car west of Durban, South Africa.

Culture

When the homeland of KwaZulu, (which means "Place of the Zulu") was re-incorporated into the Natal province after the end of Apartheid in 1994, the province of Natal which had existed between 1910 and 1994 was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. The province is home to the Zulu monarchy, and the majority population and language of the province is Zulu. It is also the only province in South Africa which includes the name of its dominant ethnic group in its name.