Operating out of a few donated land/sea shipping containers, African Medical Mission’s Itipini Clinic serves as many as 50 patients per day, five days a week. With little running water and only a generator for electricity, the clinic still manages to provide a wide range of services, from treatment for injury and infections to care to chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
TB is rampant in South Africa and at Itipini. The clinic provides TB testing and oversees DOTS (directly observed therapy, short course) service for TB patients. With this kind of care, which includes antibiotics and vitamins, TB is much less likely to become active and spread to others.
The clinic also has a major focus on:
Itipini Clinic has an enormous impact on the community. Because of its long-standing position and the trust that the residents feel for McConnachie and her staff, many who would not otherwise seek medical care feel comfortable there. Since early intervention and supervised treatment is key to combating the affects of TB and HIV, the clinic is able to effectively diagnose and manage these diseases for many community residents, preventing them from spreading further and allowing residents to live longer, healthier lives despite their illnesses.
- South Africa has the fourth highest rate of TB in the world.
- TB is the leading cause of death among HIV positive patients.
- Active TB can almost always be cured with treatment.
- DOTS treatment cures 95% of TB cases. If the drugs aren’t taken, the infection can become stronger (drug-resistant TB).
