IN CONVERSATION WITH ALEF MEULENBERG
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the Johannesburg Health District Services and the Orange Farm United Taxi Association (OFUTA), launched a new healthcare service in Orange Farm: an Mpathy Clinic specifically targeted at taxi drivers.
“Taxi drivers avoid going to a clinic because their working conditions simply don’t allow them the time to wait in long queues. With this new service, they’ll get treatment fast. Quick in and out, no long lines. It’s a quality service, built around their reality,” said Rhiza Holdings Healthcare Manager, Lerato Seheri.
“The clinic is tailor-made to suit their busy schedules and their pockets. It meets them where they are and provides them with care without disrupting their day. Consultations will range between R100 and R300 — just a fraction of the cost of private healthcare.”
Seheri explained that the initiative aligns with South Africa’s national 1.1 million ‘Closing the Gap’ ART Campaign, which aims to accelerate efforts towards achieving the 95-95-95 HIV targets. “The campaign seeks to identify and support the 1.1 million people living with HIV who know their status but are not yet on treatment, addressing a critical gap in the country’s HIV response.”
“But beyond HIV, there’s a broader challenge — men’s health in general, and how we link men to healthcare services effectively,” she said. “Men are far less likely than women to engage with routine health services and that gap often leads to late diagnoses of preventable or manageable conditions. With this clinic, we’re addressing this gap directly.”
She said the Department of Health has a strong working relationship with the taxi association, and in Orange Farm alone, there are six taxi ranks. The main rank will serve as the launch site for the clinic.
Mmakobo Gaegake, HIV, AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Tuberculosis (HAST) Programme Manager agreed with Seheri “the launch of the clinic in the taxi rank will assist in bringing health services to the busiest point in Orange Farm. Taxi drivers will work, access health services, and continue with their day-to-day life. The clinic will promote healthy living in disadvantaged communities.”
Gaegake further emphasised the importance of ensuring equitable access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the launch of the 1.1 million ‘Closing the Gap’ at Chris Hani Baragwanath Recreational Hall in Soweto earlier this year. “Our message is clear, treatment saves lives, and every person deserves a chance at a healthy future.”
The Orange Farm United Taxi Association has welcomed the initiative.
“We’re so happy to see this clinic finally open. It’s something our drivers have needed for a long time. They work long hours, always on the move, and often don’t get the chance to look after their health. Rhiza Babuyile and the Department of Health heard and saw us, and they delivered. This helps not just taxi drivers, but everyone who counts on us to keep moving,” said the association’s PRO Monty Motsopa.
Operating across Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State, Rhiza Babuyile is committed to building public-private partnerships that make community development work more efficiently. The NPO is known for creating healthcare experiences that are high-quality, cost-effective and responsive to local needs.
“Taxi drivers avoid going to a clinic because their working conditions simply don’t allow them the time to wait in long queues. With this new service, they’ll get treatment fast. Quick in and out, no long lines. It’s a quality service, built around their reality,” said Rhiza Holdings Healthcare Manager, Lerato Seheri.
“The clinic is tailor-made to suit their busy schedules and their pockets. It meets them where they are and provides them with care without disrupting their day. Consultations will range between R100 and R300 — just a fraction of the cost of private healthcare.”
Seheri explained that the initiative aligns with South Africa’s national 1.1 million ‘Closing the Gap’ ART Campaign, which aims to accelerate efforts towards achieving the 95-95-95 HIV targets. “The campaign seeks to identify and support the 1.1 million people living with HIV who know their status but are not yet on treatment, addressing a critical gap in the country’s HIV response.”
“But beyond HIV, there’s a broader challenge — men’s health in general, and how we link men to healthcare services effectively,” she said. “Men are far less likely than women to engage with routine health services and that gap often leads to late diagnoses of preventable or manageable conditions. With this clinic, we’re addressing this gap directly.”
She said the Department of Health has a strong working relationship with the taxi association, and in Orange Farm alone, there are six taxi ranks. The main rank will serve as the launch site for the clinic.
Mmakobo Gaegake, HIV, AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Tuberculosis (HAST) Programme Manager agreed with Seheri “the launch of the clinic in the taxi rank will assist in bringing health services to the busiest point in Orange Farm. Taxi drivers will work, access health services, and continue with their day-to-day life. The clinic will promote healthy living in disadvantaged communities.”
Gaegake further emphasised the importance of ensuring equitable access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the launch of the 1.1 million ‘Closing the Gap’ at Chris Hani Baragwanath Recreational Hall in Soweto earlier this year. “Our message is clear, treatment saves lives, and every person deserves a chance at a healthy future.”
The Orange Farm United Taxi Association has welcomed the initiative.
“We’re so happy to see this clinic finally open. It’s something our drivers have needed for a long time. They work long hours, always on the move, and often don’t get the chance to look after their health. Rhiza Babuyile and the Department of Health heard and saw us, and they delivered. This helps not just taxi drivers, but everyone who counts on us to keep moving,” said the association’s PRO Monty Motsopa.
Operating across Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State, Rhiza Babuyile is committed to building public-private partnerships that make community development work more efficiently. The NPO is known for creating healthcare experiences that are high-quality, cost-effective and responsive to local needs.