Support for the psychology unit of the Phelophepa, a hospital train in South Africa 

The 16 cars of the hospital on railroad tracks, the “Phelophepa” (which means “good health” in Tswana and Sotho, two local languages), has been crisscrossing South Africa since 1994 to offer a modern and economical care system to the most disadvantaged populations.

The train makes 36 stops each year, mainly in the country’s rural areas. Over 50 doctors, nurses and medical students treat nearly 40,000 patients every year. Operating like a traditional hospital, the train has an ophthalmology clinic, dental offices, general medicine and pediatrics departments, a pharmacy as well as a psychology clinic.

The Air Liquide Foundation has been working with this unique initiative for two years by supporting the train’s psychology clinic. Situations of extreme poverty are sometimes accompanied by serious psychological distress. The purpose of this clinic is to enrich the hospital train’s action in rural communities. Its approach is based on working groups and the use of interactive tools: theater, music, videos…

The clinic’s personnel notably treats questions on violence, with groups of children 6 to 13 years old, as well as suicide, sexuality and AIDS. A financial education program for adults has also been implemented.
 

In 2009-2010, the Air Liquide Foundation financed the development and distribution of guides on these subjects. They have been translated into eight local languages to reach the largest number of communities possible in South Africa.

In 2011, the Foundation is contributing to the development of the psychological aid department, offering better training for the train’s students, providing specialized books, a subscription to scientific publications and better treatment of the patients through the creation of a practical guide and the purchase of visual supports.