American Friends of the Phelophepa Train – Train of Hope
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Mission Statement
The two Phelophepa trains - Train of Hope, are the world’s largest comprehensive mobile healthcare clinics operating two 18-car trains with an onboard staff of 60 each, delivering primary health care, dental, eye care, psychology, educational and community outreach services to rural areas of South Africa. The two trains are on the road 9 months out of each year, stopping weekly and delivering services at 70 train stations. Since the launch of the first train in 1994, the trains have provided healthcare services to over 24 million South Africans bringing ‘Health Equity’ to a very diverse population, with measurable social and economic impact.
About This Cause
The two Phelophepa Trains utilize South Africa’s rail infrastructure and collaborative efforts to bring together the expertise and services of various government, social and medical organizations to address important health care issues. Phelophepa provides a simple, one-stop service for its patients everything a traveling hospital requires and the health care education outreach, ensures continued care once the train has departed. The cause has won global recognition for the innovative way in which it brings the best of modern medicine to rural areas in South Africa and how it forms an integral part of local community structures, supplementing or supporting existing facilities. Phelophepa trains are a conduit for and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The “American Friends of the Phelophepa train (AFPT)” is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to provide advocacy and a fundraising platform for Phelophepa Trains. AFPT appeals to individuals, corporations, foundations and others to contribute to the Phelophepa cause in South Africa. The Train of Hope Story: The first Phelophepa train started its journey as the first and only primary healthcare train in the world on January 10, 1994, the same year that South Africa took its first steps towards democracy. It operates as a health and educational facilitator, reaching tens of thousands of rural patients throughout South Africa each year. On March 12, 2012, the second Phelophepa train embarked on its first journey to Mount Ruth in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The new train doubled the annual capacity of the program and brings services to new territories. Building these primary health care trains became one of the most daunting design and engineering projects ever to be tackled by Transnet Ltd., and its businesses – a world first. Transnet Rail Engineering division refurbished old coaches and fitted them with special health care equipment. The extensive experience of both Transnet Rail Engineering and Transnet Freight Rail in project management, ensured that they were qualified to execute this technically complex project successfully. The Phelophepa trains have become a well-known and trusted beacon of hope and better health in rural South Africa, delivering eye, health, counseling, dental care and health education to thousands of men, women and children. Since the Phelophepa started its journey in 1994, the face of health needs and delivery in South Africa has also changed. The management of these two 600-ton trains decided that the Phelophepa should also listen to these needs, adapt, expand and reach out to other role players in the health and related fields. Over the years, the Phelophepa eye clinics have established a register to track patients at the eye clinics referred for cataract operations and what happens to these patients. The ongoing evaluation and analysis of this data, revealed that the considerable number of Phelophepa patients referred for cataract removals are not attended to because of the huge backlogs at state hospitals. These patients gradually go blind which has a significant social and economic impact as many of them are sole income providers to families as head of households. For example, from January 2015 to September 2015 the Phelophepa eye clinics treated 49,521 patients, of which 3,854 patients (approximately 7.8%) were diagnosed with cataracts and referred for treatment. In 2016 data revealed that only an estimated 150 of referred patients (approximately 3.9%) were operated on. The rest of the 3,704 patients were placed on waiting lists and will gradually go blind due to the maturing of the cataracts. As a result, a joint undertaking to assess the feasibility of a third Phelophepa train commenced in June 2016, resulting in the decision to develop the concept of a surgical train and the beging to fundraise and the forming of Partnerships. Given the existing demand to treat cataracts, a third Phelophepa surgical train will provide needed cataract operations and thereafter has the potential to evolve into other surgical procedures. Phelophepa III will enable high volume cataacts surgeries, as it takes approximately 30 minutes to perform a minimally invasive procedure with quick post-op recovery for patients. Phelophepa III surgical train, a first on the African continent and the world, will have state of the art operating rooms initially for the removal of cataracts with a capacity to service a minimum of 10,000 patients during its nine-month operating cycle. In time, the surgical services have the potential to be expanded to provide other procedures, for example assisting patients with corrective surgeries for perforated eardrums, cleft lip and palettes and disabilities related to club foot. PHELOPHEPA CLINICS IN 2016 (services and numbers): Health Clinics Registered 54,273 patients with the emphasis on: • Basic health care education • Screening and examinations • Diabetic screening/education • Cancer screening/education • Provisioned of 51,357 prescriptions which included 82,000 types of medications to patients (schedule 1-4) Eye Clinics Registered 46,939 patients with the emphasis on: • Vision and ocular screening • Refraction and pathology diagnosis • Provision of spectacles and minor ocular therapeutics Dental Clinics Registered 23,482 patients with the emphasis on: • Oral health education • Restorative procedures • Extractions Counseling Clinics • Individual counseling of registered patients as referred by clinic supervisors. Edu Clinics • Training of 16 plus community volunteers each week in an accredited Basic Health Care Program. PHELOPHEPA SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAMS Eye Clinic outreach programs to schools Screened 16,414 children with the emphasis on: • Vision and ocular screening • Refraction and pathology diagnosis • Provision of spectacles and minor ocular therapeutics • Provided spectacles to 5,000 children, to be transported from their schools to the train. Colgate oral health education and screening programs • Screened and educated 75,975 primary and pre-school children • Provided children with Colgate donated toothpaste and toothbrushes Roche health screening programs • Screened and educated 96,019 children for basic health care, audiometry and health related problems. • Screened and educated 97,056 children on diabetic conditions and related problems. Community counseling workshops conducted for 55,110 children in topics such as: • Conflict resolution • Dealing with teenage pregnancy • Career Counseling • Abuse/Violence PHELOPHEPA OUTREACH PROGRAMMES FOR ADULTS Community counseling workshops 12,521 adults in topics such as: • Alcohol/drug abuse • Child discipline • HIV/Aids JOB CREATION AT PHELOPHEPA In 2016, 4200 total temporary job were creationed, averaging 85 people per day working at trains (new groups every week) • Various tasks are designated i.e. tent pitching; cleaning; interpreting and cashiering