Severe unemployment in Glenmore informal settlement has left residents vulnerable to health hazards. Nobuntu Mposwa, a nurse at Glenmore Community Clinic, reveals that they diagnose a variety of illnesses
in Glenmore, including many cases of HIV/Aids.
Severe unemployment in Glenmore informal settlement has left residents vulnerable to health hazards. Nobuntu Mposwa, a nurse at Glenmore Community Clinic, reveals that they diagnose a variety of illnesses
in Glenmore, including many cases of HIV/Aids.
Since the clinic does not offer treatment in the form of antriretrovirals (ARV s), those who test positive often lack follow up treatment.
“We refer our clients to Peddie, where they can receive ARV s and further treatment and we do conduct voluntary counselling and testing. But since we don’t have further treatment it becomes difficult for us to follow up on the client’s health,” says Mposwa.
However she added that the clinic is always stocked with medication for other ailments. “We make monthly medication orders that never disappoint us,” she said.
“The stress of being unemployed sees people drinking, which makes one careless and they become vulnerable to the risks of contracting HIV/Aids.”
Nevertheless, tuberculosis (TB) patients have been stopping medication halfway through the treatment, causing a relapse and the danger of multi drug resitant TB in a number of patients.
Meanwhile, Mposwa says that the creation of jobs and the cleanliness of the environment would ensure a better, healthier community.
“The cleanliness of the environment around the people goes together with their health,” says Mposwa. She believes that rubbish should be stored out of reach of people and animals and that the toilets, which are in terrible conditions, should be health-risk free and there should be clean water to drink.
