Poor, historically disadvantaged and destitute communities facing critical healthcare challenges in
severely under-served areas surrounding Port Elizabeth are to benefit from a new, transformative
initiative… the introduction of mobile clinic services, the consequence of an R863 000 specialist
vehicle donation to the Islamic Medical Association.
The provision of the new medical service was made possible by the South African Muslim Charitable
Trust (SAMCT).
Commenting on the SAMCT’s donation of the especially-equipped clinic vehicle, organisation
representative, Mr. Gaff Osman, said: “Our country has for many years faced severe healthcare
challenges in, especially, severely under-developed and under-resourced rural and semi-rural
regions. These areas are home to some of the country’s most vulnerable and historically
disadvantaged communities; communities lacking the financial resources to reach distant and more
established healthcare facilities, leaving them vulnerable to a plethora of health issues.”
He added: “The unfortunate reality is that the Government is simply unable to deliver against the
demand for healthcare facilities across South Africa to meet patient demand. Mobile clinics are,
therefore, the best solution to the problem. They have the ability to change the status quo, reaching
patients, instead of patients having to spend hours of costly travel to reach medical facilities.”
Mobile Clinics make general healthcare far more accessible and convenient to communities in under-
developed rural areas.
“Utilising the services of a mobile clinic does not mean patients lose out on medical technology or
have to make do with a reduced quality of care. Such vehicles are especially equipped to deliver a
wide range of medical help on the doorstep of outlying and under-served communities. The Islamic
Medical Association’s new mobile clinic is just such a vehicle,” Mr. Osman maintained.
The introduction of the new mobile clinic in Port Elizabeth paves the way for expanded healthcare
outreach initiatives, serving more people than ever before.
At the heart of this initiative are partners the Islamic Medical Association, which contributes
specialised medical personnel and services, and the Al-Fidaa Foundation, which orchestrates the
intricate logistics of outreach undertakings, including the movement of the clinic via a dedicated
vehicle, ensuring its timely arrival at identified points of community contact.
The partnership’s endeavours will include ensuring beneficiaries not only receive comprehensive
medical, dental and optometric medical care, but also nourishing hot meals, courtesy of the Al-Fidaa
Foundation.
“The SAMCT recognises the shortfall in healthcare facilities in this country and applauds the Islamic Medical Association’s desire to expand its healthcare offering to, especially, communities out-of-
reach of established medical facilities. Accordingly, our organisation was only too pleased to accede to its plea for assistance,” Mr. Osman said.
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al
Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing, and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. This has
ensured that the SAMCT is the beneficiary of this Shariah suite of funds, enabling it to provide
funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived
and disadvantaged. It has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable assistance solutions
throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy
organizations in the fields of social development, poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare.
“We believe that this collaborative endeavour – made possible by our organisation’s financial
assistance – represents a profound commitment to the well-being of under-served communities in
the outlying areas of Port Elizabeth, and align perfectly with our shared vision of a healthier and
more resilient society. The introduction of this mobile clinic will make an appreciable difference to
the lives of those it is designed to serve and will play a critical role in taking healthcare to the
deserving people in areas outside Port Elizabeth long into the future,” Mr. Osman said.