Health Care

Meeting the medical needs of the children is an important part of the care provided at Baphumelele. A number of children are infected with HIV (including a number of babies who have combined infections of HIV and TB). Sick children are taken to various facilities throughout the area. Clinic/hospital visits are typically made two to three times a week.

Most cases of illness are first taken to the Health Clinic in Khayelitsha. The current system requires that anyone in need of attention arrives at the Clinic early and queues for what might be an entire day. Caregivers and volunteers make sure that the children get to the clinic, where they receive their immunisation injections, medicines and TB tablets.

Children with chronic illnesses have recently started visiting local treatment clinics rather than being transported to Cape Town for medical oversight. This initiative has been put in place to prevent overcrowding in city hospitals and to encourage the growth and development of local clinics. This system has proven successful thus far and the children are continuing to thrive.

The Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town caters to the most ill and most fragile children, usually referred by the Health Clinic. It is essential that someone stays with the sick child for the entire period of his/her hospitalisation.

Since February 2005 Baphumelele has been blessed to have a volunteer doctor and two nurses visit the Home every Monday and Thursday. Their regular visits provide ongoing health care monitoring for all children at Baphumelele. The nurses prepare medicine syringes for four days at a time to ensure accurate dispensing, as well as train caregivers to properly administer the medication. The doctor remains on call during the rest of the week.