South Africa's healthcare train

South Africa's iconic township of Soweto is being paid a visit by an unusual kind of train. Instead of whisking passengers to far-flung destinations, the carriages standing at this platform contain primary healthcare services, ready to serve those in need.

Kitted out with state of the art equipment for general medicine, optometry, dentistry, psychology, the train even boasts an on-board pharmacy.

In need of ophthalmic assistance, law student Restshepile Mosena is among the hundreds flocking to see medics at Dube station.

Restshepile Mosena: "Glasses are really expensive! Eye tests are expensive and the glasses are even more expensive, so I couldn't really afford them at the time, ja. So I was kind of saving up to buy glasses for myself, but this opportunity came up and I took it."

While South Africa may be the continent's most advanced economy, many residents still suffer the common problems of poverty and rampant unemployment, which leave even primary healthcare virtually out of reach.

For optometrist Thompho Sadiki, making a difference matters.

Thompho Sadiki: "It's, it’s, it’s great, it's great. Some, sometimes you, you, you, you can even hear it from the, you know, from the heart when you are helping someone who, who has never been exposed to, to health service. Then you can see – well yeah – you have done something for, for, for someone, yes."

The health train, called Phelophepa – a mix of the Tswana and Sotho languages meaning ‘good, clean health’ – and run by Transnet, the state-owned logistics company, has been crisscrossing the country for 9 months of the year since 1994, the year apartheid was abolished.

Beginning life as a modest, three carriage provision offering optometry services, Phelophepa has since evolved into a 19 coach mobile healthcare provider. Thelma Sateka, the acting train manager, reflects on the journey ahead.

Thelma Sateke: "Well, the hundred percent health coverage is, is still not about to be reached any time soon. So, the train still has a lot to do in that regard to bring the services to the rural areas, where services are non-existent at some point or, or they are very rare." View Less