BY PHESHEYA IAN KUNENE
MAFUTSENI – Healthcare professionals on the frontline have hailed the Mafutseni Primary Healthcare Outreach as a vital force in relieving pressure on the health system and transforming lives in rural Eswatini.
Dr. Nomathemba Nxumalo, part of the medical team at yesterday’s outreach, said the initiative plays a key role in early detection and prevention.
“By reaching people where they are, we help stop small ailments from becoming big problems,” she said, adding that proactive screening is saving time and resources for the public health system.
Nurse Temahlubi Dlamini, who led the community health education session, taught practical illness prevention measures such as hand hygiene, healthy eating, drinking clean water, and regular exercise. “Community health is the heart of healthcare,” she said. “It’s where we empower people with information to take charge of their own well-being.”
Dlamini added that being part of the outreach gives her a deeper sense of purpose.
“I feel like I’m creating change. When we empower people to manage chronic conditions and prevent illness, we improve lives.”
STUDENTS STEP UP FOR SERVICE
Among those answering the call were 24 final-year Mental Health Nursing students from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Faculty of Health Sciences, Mbabane Campus. Student representative Simo Lukhele said the group was honoured to contribute.
“We paused classes to support this initiative because we believe in what it stands for,” Lukhele said. “Our hope is to see it grow into a fully-fledged health centre.”
ELDERLY GET HELP, AND A LIFT
In a moment that touched many, 77-year-old Gogo Fidela Nxumalo offered heartfelt thanks on behalf of the community, praising the centre for bringing healthcare closer to home. To show commitment, the community rallied together and arranged free transport for elderly residents, a move that highlights the unity of Mafutseni when it comes to public health.
OUTREACH GATHERS MOMENTUM
The outreach, now held every third Thursday of the month, continues to grow in reach and impact. More residents are attending, and more organisations are joining the effort, including Mkhiwa Clinic, which came on board this month.
Dr. Fortunate Shabalala, Head of the UNESWA Health Sciences Faculty, said the goal is bigger than monthly services.
“We are responding to real gaps in healthcare,” she said. “We want to turn Mafutseni into a Centre of Excellence, led by the community, for the community.”
The initiative is powered by a dynamic collaboration between the University of Eswatini Health Sciences Faculty (Mbabane Campus), Georgetown University, Ministry of Health, AHF Eswatini, Diabetes Eswatini, the National TB Programme, and Mkhiwa Clinic, among other partners.
Services include TB and NCD screening, child vaccinations, HIV testing, mental health consultations, and general curative care. According to Dr. Shabalala, “We’re not just treating illness, we’re shifting the culture to one of prevention, compassion and access.”
The Mafutseni outreach is transforming a former road engineer’s facility into a beacon of community health, one Thursday at a time.
