Annual expedition provides medical and socio-economic support beyond SA’s borders

Much-needed care for Malawi and Mozambique beneficiaries after Cyclone Idai

The RMA Mobile Clinic recently returned from its annual expedition to Malawi and Mozambique, where it provided healthcare services and assistance aimed at improving the circumstances of beneficiaries.

This year there was a particular need for the RMA team’s special brand of compassionate care because of Cyclone Idai – one of the worst tropical storms ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere – had caused widespread destruction and human tragedy in these two countries just a few months before.

Now in its 14th year, the RMA Mobile Clinic travels around South Africa and neighbouring countries to provide medical support and perform the necessary maintenance and repairs to prosthetics and mobility aids for RMA beneficiaries, who were pensioned following occupational injuries in mining and related industries.

“We take our commitment to provide caring, compassionate compensation most seriously. Whether RMA beneficiaries live far or near, they can rely on our ongoing support for their medical needs. We also try to alleviate socio-economic pressures as far as possible through providing sustainable assistance for beneficiaries and their dependants,” explains Dr Deodat Kritzinger, General Manager: Medical of RMA.

Each year, the RMA Mobile Clinic travels throughout Southern Africa, including to remote rural areas in South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi, to visit beneficiaries. During these expeditions, RMA assesses the health of beneficiaries while the team from RMA’s prosthetics and orthotics partner, Marissa Nel and Associates, performs maintenance on their mobility aids, including prosthetics and wheelchairs, or replaces them, as needed.

First stop: Blantyre, Malawi

Relating her experience of the expedition, RMA Mobile Clinic team leader Sue Rundle says that when they arrived in Malawi in June, the first stop was in Blantyre, where the clinic was set up at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“When we arrived for the first day of the mobile clinic, it was wonderful to see the pensioners, whom we have got to know so well over the years. They greeted us eagerly and within half an hour we had set up the clinic and were ready to tend to the beneficiaries,” she recalls.

“Dr Luvuyo performed health checks and found most of the pensioners in good health. He was concerned about one of the gentlemen and referred him for medical care at the local hospital. Another pensioner was prescribed antibiotics for an infection in his knee, and our field workers have been closely monitoring his progress since then.”

Lilongwe pensioners inspire

The next stop was in Lilongwe, where the RMA Mobile Clinic truck arrived on Thursday, 20 June.

“The Lilongwe pensioners, as always, appeared to have been particularly active and required more intensive prosthetics repairs. Here again, the beneficiaries were in good spirits. We were humbled as they shared their success stories, as well as tales of the absolute devastation communities suffered due to Cyclone Idai since our last visit,” Rundle adds.

“Our Malawi pensioners inspired us with their resilience following the destruction that Cyclone Idai caused earlier in the year. They expressed such gratitude for the Mobile Clinic’s services, as well as for the donations of clothing, vegetable seeds and other items that we hope will help to make life more comfortable for these beneficiaries and their families.”

Healthcare and skills development workshop in Mozambique

In August the RMA Mobile Clinic embarked on the expedition to visit Mozambican pensioners in Xai-Xai, and the team faced a challenging start due to long delays at the border post. Fortunately, when they were able to enter the country, everyone worked together efficiently to ensure no time was lost in attending to the pensioners.

Over the next few days the clinic attended to 43 RMA beneficiaries, providing 16 new prostheses, refitting an additional two prostheses, and undertaking repairs to 15 prostheses among other healthcare services.

“Five of the pensioners were selected to take part in a three-day basic welding skills training programme. The main goal of the training was to empower the men to harness a new skill, which could assist them to start a small business,” Rundle explains.

With a particular emphasis on safety, the practical training equipped these beneficiaries with the necessary skills to manufacture small side tables. RMA donated personal protective equipment, welding machines, grinders, welding rods and discs and materials to help the men establish sustainable, income-generating businesses.

“For years, RMA has supported efforts to establish food gardens to help the beneficiaries provide fresh produce for their families. All the pensioners were given vegetable seeds and we wish them every success for their next crop.

“We were saddened to hear from one of our beneficiaries that he had lost his home and his prosthesis during Cyclone Idai. We provided clothes for the man, his wife and their six children, and donated a set of cooking pots to the family from the RMA social assistance fund.”

Dr Kritzinger commended the RMA Mobile Clinic team and its partners on their efforts to assist the Malawi and Mozambique pensioners.

“It has been 125 years since RMA was founded to administer workers’ compensation, and we consider it our privilege to provide ongoing medical treatment and compensation for those who have been injured in the line of duty, in accordance with the terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act [COIDA], through the RMA Mobile Clinic programme.

“Whether RMA beneficiaries are here in South Africa or beyond our borders, we will continue to care for them and ensure their prosthetics and medical needs are attended to. As far as practically possible, we also strive to help alleviate the socio-economic hardships they face, which have been particularly severe this year in the wake of Cyclone Idai.

“The pensioners have demonstrated such perseverance following this natural disaster, and every year they show our Mobile Clinic team great kindness and gratitude. They are an inspiration and example to us all,” Dr Kritzinger concluded.