For residents of Gibeon Village and nearby farms, access to medical doctors means long travel distances to the nearest hospital in Mariental, since the village is served only by a clinic staffed with nurses.

 But this week, they found hope when the Grace Welfare Project brought free medical services to the village through its two-day outreach programme.

 Close to 300 patients benefited from the medical outreach programme.

 It provided medical care services, including general health check-ups, diabetes and blood pressure screening, as well as dentist, pharmacist and counselling services.

 About 80 volunteers, among them doctors, dentists, nurses, health workers, and psychologists, provided these services free of charge.

Team Leader of the Grace Welfare Project Rihanna Maasdorp said that since 2018, the outreach programme has visited rural areas without hospitals once a year.

 "What we do is we take them through the process of registration and take their vitals. And while they wait for the doctor, they must have a sandwich because the doctor does not want to see the patient on an empty stomach. And after the doctors there is a fully qualified pharmacist who dispenses the medicine, and after that they have an opportunity to talk to a counsellor; it's free. If they don't want to do it, we either shave the gentleman's hair or wash the ladies' feet.”

 The most common ailments diagnosed were arthritis and hypertension.

 A general practitioner, Dr Lenin Solomons, noted that for some patients, it was the first time in years they were examined by a medical doctor.

 The patients expressed their gratitude for the medical care they received. 

 The initiative also distributed second-hand clothing to vulnerable individuals.