The SHAWCO Newrest health clinic is run on Monday nights in the informal settlement of Newrest, Guglethu.Newrest is situated a stones throw away from the N2 freeway and Cape Town Internation airport.

Although only a 15 minute drive from Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT medical school, the surroundings are vastly different. One is struck by the rudimentary living conditions of the area. First-timers are always taken aback that it is possible that an area such as this can support human habitation… Whilst poverty is widespread and unemployment rife, this community is rich in the spirit of ubuntu. A community that treasures SHAWCO.

Our clinic is the busiest of the six SHAWCO health clinics. We see more patients than any other clinic; we have more UCT medical students coming out on the clinic and attract the largest number of the international students on the clinic. There is a great loyalty amongst the medical students about the welfare of the SHAWCO Newrest health clinic. It often happens that we have more students arriving for the clinic than can fit on the bus!

In 2006, we saw just under 1000 patients during the course of the year. We also managed to cancel only 1 clinic during the entire year, an amazing feat.

Some stats for the first half of 2007 that might interest you:

Total number of clinic so far: 15
Total number of patients seen: 541
Average number of patients per clinic: 36
Number of students attending the Newrest Clinic: 299
Average number of students per clinic: 20

We provide a primary health care service, treating conditions such as diarrhoea, respiratory tract infections, muscular-skeletal ailments and other non-specialty disease. When we are confronted with a patient requiring a higher level of care or a patient for whom we do not have the facilities to treat, we refer them to the local day hospital or even take them to one of Cape Town’s secondary hospitals, such as GF Jooste or sometimes even tertiary hospitals, such as the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

It is really a holistic management that we provide. This holistic management includes the wonderful care provided by the physiotherapists who have great dedication to helping provide an appropriate service to the community.

So I encourage any health sciences student to come and experience the SHAWCO Newrest magic. It is a truly humbling experience.

A big thank you to all the loyal staff and students who have been involved in the clinic in the past and continue to be involved. I salute your dedication.

Grant Thomas – Newrest Clinic Head