Thus, it is prudent to take primary and preventative healthcare services to taxi ranks, thanks to the initiative by the largest taxi organization SANTACO, SANAC (The South African National Aids Council), Department of Health and the International Labour Organization, who are behind the AIDS campaign.
KwaZulu-Natal has been chosen as the starting point of the overall programme because it is the province with the highest HIV transmission rate, nationally. It begins from October 14 as part of transport month.
Because taxi ranks and taxi operators touch the lives of so many South Africans on a daily basis, industry leaders are therefore, committed to heading up a range of initiatives aimed at ensuring that members of the industry remain healthy and best able to serve passengers.
At the ranks, free counselling will be available to everyone who has their health assessed and test results will be kept confidential and, where necessary or requested, mobile clinic staff will make referrals to local health care providers (clinics or hospitals).
Private sector has also come on board in the form of SA Taxi, Toyota SA, and Taxi Choice, who will contribute resources in line with the programme’s objectives.
Mobile clinics will be stationed for three days at the Market Square
taxi rank in Pietermaritzburg,
Chesterville in Durban Central, and
Isipingo and Kwa-Mashu ranks.
Minibus taxi drivers, rank marshals, operators, and commuters free testing for HIV as well as other lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, will be conducted for FREE. MAHALA…
In the meantime, taxi operators clean those taxi ranks because your health depends on others to make a living, or kanjani?
Dates for other provinces will be released soon.
