Only 16% of South Africans can afford private healthcare, and many low-income earners cannot afford healthcare and must rely on community clinics. These facilities are under intense pressure as they often cannot cope with the demand. For many workers, getting medical attention at these facilities means waiting for hours and being unable to work for a day and therefore losing wages. However, things could change if the pioneering efforts of a dedicated nurse with the financial backing of Standard Bank reach their full national potential.
“We assist this sector by working longer hours than do local government clinics that only open five days a week. Our services are available seven days a week at R300 per visit. Those able to pay for primary healthcare often must travel long distances to get to pharmacy-based primary healthcare clinics, mostly in the suburbs. The Rapha Clinic has been strategically placed between the city and the townships so that it can be easily reached by people commuting from their homes to the city,” says Ntombi Skosane, founder of Rapha Healthcare Services.
For Skosane, the clinic, which is located in the Montana area of Pretoria, realised her dream of being able to fill a vital gap in providing primary and basic healthcare to her community.
“As a nurse with 30 years in both the public and the private sector, I believed that I could open a clinic where I could establish a community service offering quality healthcare at affordable rates. The growing success of our operation shows that I was correct,” she adds.
Using her experience of clinics as a guide, Skosane has opted to have Rapha offer nine core services ranging from antenatal care and family planning to assisting with immunisations and wound care, as well as helping those with chronic illnesses and HIV testing and counselling.
“The Rapha Clinic met the stringent guidelines for being considered for a grant. These included an assessment of the viability of the business by the Standard Bank Enterprise Development Funding Committee, the commitment and required personal investment of the owner, and the sector in which the business operates. Although the business was operating successfully, it needed financial assistance to reach its full potential. In this case, the company needed additional stock and equipment to deliver a full service. After considering the application, Standard Bank purchased the required equipment for Rapha,” says Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development at Standard Bank.
Skosane says that acquiring additional medical and surgical stock, emergency trollies, a vaccine fridge, wheelchairs, and air-conditioning through Standard Bank meant that the clinic would be able to attend to more patients more efficiently.
Rapha may be just a single clinic, but new outlets are being planned for Gauteng and the North West Province. Ten new clinics are being considered, as are health assessment centres in partnership with gyms and medical aids.
“We believe that Rapha Healthcare Services has a bright future. We look forward to playing a central role in growing the nation’s small business sector and developing relationships with a new generation of entrepreneurs,” says Mosomane.
