Unsafe river crossing stands between Limpopo villagers and healthcare
Health-e News Unsafe river crossing stands between Limpopo villagers and healthcare For residents of Mafarafara village outside Burgersfort, reaching the nearest clinic means crossing the Tubatse River on a makeshift bridge and then walking another 1.5km up a steep, bushy gravel road. The village has no clinic of its own. Residents rely on the Taung Clinic in Ga-Taung village, about six to seven…
Resident Otho Mnisi has spent his SASSA unemployment grant and borrowed money to build a footbridge across the Tubatse River, charging R10 for crossings. The makeshift bridge connects Mafarafara village, lacking a clinic, to the Taung Clinic six kilometers away. While Mnisi helps people cross during rainy seasons, the river's floodwaters sometimes make it unsafe.
Drowning incidents have occurred over the past decade, including a man who drowned while returning from Taung Clinic eight years ago to collect high blood pressure medication. The steep, bushy road from the bridge to the clinic also creates barriers for residents needing healthcare. The municipality acknowledges the challenges residents face and plans to raise the concerns with the provincial government. They will explore mobile health services to improve access to healthcare in Mafarafara.
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