Latest news with #mobileclinic
Zawya
05-08-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Mobile Clinics Bring Care Closer in Comoros: How UNFPA-supported services are transforming the lives of women in the islands
When the white tent appears at the edge of Bougweni, it feels like relief after a long drought. For Sitty Ahamadi, moving joyfully and smiling while at the clinic, 'The place has opened my eyes. I now know that I can choose when to have a child, think about my health, and my children's future. I feel stronger, freer.' At 26, Sitty was expecting for the third time. On her first visit to the mobile clinic, she was exhausted but curious. Alongside other women from her village, she entered a large tent pitched under the shade of the trees. Inside, she says she discovered much more than care. She discovered a space for listening, respect, and learning. She found another world. Women in scrubs spoke to her gently, patiently explaining things. 'I learned things I didn't know before,' she says. 'Like how you can prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy, or the right way to position your baby when feeding.' For Sitty, this was transformative. The clinic also introduced her to family planning, an unspoken subject in her community. For the first time, she understood that birth spacing was not only possible, but her right. It was a way to protect her health, regain her strength between pregnancies, and give her children the attention they deserved. Breaking the distance barrier The mobile clinic on the island of Anjouan has been in use since 2020. Funded by UNFPA, the space is a much-needed safe haven for pregnant women. From the Village of Bougweni, the nearest hospital, Sima Health Center, is 10 kilometers away, a hard distance for a pregnant woman to reach on foot. "Sometimes, after a late period, you think you might be pregnant, but the journey, especially when you have to travel miles, makes you less likely to want to go to the doctor. Sometimes you don't even have enough taxi fares. Then you get to a point where you think you're just waiting for the birth,' explains Hanati Sidi, 37. Hanati is expecting her fourth child and shares the relief and happiness of having a clinic that's close. Consistency is key The regular arrival of the mobile clinic, with the support of UNFPA, breaks this isolation. With UNFPA's innovation and deployment of the mobile clinic, the rhythm of life for women in Bougweni has changed. Because the Mobile Clinic not only treats but also directs and encourages pregnant women to go to the hospital to prevent preventable maternal deaths. 'I wish she would come more often. I won't hide it from you, when she comes here to Bougweni, everyone is happy. It's like when it's the dry season and you see the rain fall. Currently, I'm waiting for the clinic to check my vaccinations and be up to date,' Sitty explains. The clinic provides essential healthcare services, including medication, personalized advice, and a compassionate ear. It embodies a humanistic approach, reaching out to those isolated by distance and lack of resources, assuring them they are not alone. As a result, women like Sitty and Hanati are better informed and more empowered. While the mobile clinic is only a part of our interventions and actions, it paves the way for prevention, fosters autonomy, and restores dignity. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA - East and Southern Africa.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Worst nightmare': Parvovirus outbreak hits London community housing, local vets step in to help
A not-for-profit veterinarian is doing a mobile clinic where a parvovirus outbreak has taken hold. CTV London's Reta Ismail has the details.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Parvovirus mobile clinic
A not-for-profit veterinarian is doing a mobile clinic where a parvovirus outbreak has taken hold. CTV London's Reta Ismail has the details.
Free Malaysia Today
22-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
KPJ rolls out after-hours mobile clinic at Johor public hospital
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi and state health executive councillor Ling Tian Soon at the launch of the KWAN mobile clinic at Hospital Sultanah Aminah today. PETALING JAYA : KPJ Healthcare Berhad has launched a new mobile Klinik Waqaf An-Nur at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru to ease congestion at public hospitals and improve access to affordable after-hours medical care. In a statement, KPJ said the initiative is a joint effort between the Johor government, the state health department, Waqaf An-Nur Corporation Berhad, and the state health executive councillor's office. Operating from 8pm to midnight, the mobile clinic offers consultations, basic medications, and medical certificates at subsidised rates equivalent to those at public healthcare facilities. 'This is also the first time a KWAN mobile clinic is operating within a public hospital setting in Johor, which reflects the strength of our collaboration with government partners,' Chin Keat Chyuan, president and managing director of KPJ Healthcare, said in a statement today. 'It is part of our commitment under the KPJ Health System to deliver more connected, inclusive care.' KWAN, a CSR initiative based on the Islamic concept of waqaf, is funded by zakat contributions and charitable endowments. Since its inception, it has served over 2.2 million patients through eight static clinics, eight dialysis centres, and nine mobile units across Malaysia. The mobile units have been operating in Johor since 2017, with the latest addition at Hospital Sultanah Aminah extending its reach to patients seeking care at public hospitals.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Mobile GP service expands reach, providing vital healthcare to homeless in Nowra
Bernie Goodwin used to dread getting sick because it meant visiting a GP clinic. It made him uncomfortable knowing people would stare at him. Until he secured housing recently, he slept in a public park in the centre of Nowra on the New South Wales south coast. "I won't go to the doctors if people stare at me — I just walk straight back out," Mr Goodwin said. "You could be smelly, you stink, people stare, you feel weird. "You don't want to get sick because there's not many places you can go." Meanwhile, Ellis Victoria was experiencing homelessness when he became sick with the viral liver infection hepatitis C. He said despite feeling unwell, his health was not a priority. "On the street you have a lot of other issues you're dealing with, you're not always able to get to a doctor," Mr Victoria said. Street Side Medics is a mobile GP van for people who are homeless, staffed by volunteer doctors and launched in Sydney in 2020. It has now expanded to Nowra, its most regional community yet, where more than 700 people face homelessness or marginal housing across the Shoalhaven region. Operations manager Leanne Akiki said the clinic partnered with specialised support services like the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub to target people falling through the gaps. "There's a mixture of reasons why people don't feel comfortable entering a traditional general practice and emergency department hospitals," she said. Ms Akiki said the GP van was particularly helpful for the many people sleeping rough who did not have Medicare. The Street Side Medic doctors often assist with wound care, infections, chronic illness and acute diseases, and can also provide referrals for specialists. Mr Victoria has recently secured permanent housing but visits the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub daily for a meal and some company. He said he was relieved to be able to visit the Street Side Medics van on its first day of operation this week. "I am getting a bit older now, I've just had my bloods done and they're going to check my iron and vitamin B and for cancer," Mr Victoria said. "It's a load off my chest. "It's really important … when it [the service] comes to us, we should be a healthier community because of it." For Mr Goodwin, the opportunity to see a GP at the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub was a "big shock" and a win. "I still come visit every day to visit my friends, see how they're going and encourage them to do better, and I come for a feed." Street Side Medics founder Daniel Nour said he wanted a national homelessness commissioner to better coordinate a response to the growing, Australia-wide crisis. "Too many organisations are currently working in silos," Dr Nour said. "We need a homelessness commissioner to better maximise the resources available to us … not only to better support vulnerable Australians, but also to understand and address the root causes of homelessness." The most recent census data from 2021 indicated a 5.2 per cent increase in the number of homeless persons between 2016 and 2021, to 122,494 people. NSW and Victoria recorded the largest number of people experiencing homelessness, with 35,011 and 30,660 people respectively. Dr Nour said the crisis must be addressed. "It is multi-faceted, complex, and a shameful reality in almost every society — one that demands tough conversations and meaningful cross-portfolio action," he said. "For long-term change, we need more than pockets of innovation. We need to scale what works, connect services, and commit, as a nation, to doing better." Street Side Medics plans to eventually expand its services further south.
