A child can get bad marks at school, because of bad eyesight. In one case, a young boy was called “stupid” – but just needed glasses. Once he could see properly, he did well at school.
UJ Students attend to the patients under clinical supervision, says Dr Pieter Els, manager of the UJ Health Training Centre. In addition, the motor development of children is monitored and an annual sports day is arranged for the crèches in Riverlea.
Riverlea is a community of 24,000 people living close to mine dumps south-east of Johannesburg near Soccer City, experiencing numerous health risks.
Providing service not available otherwise
The nursing and environmental health services provided by UJ supplement the service at the primary healthcare clinic in Riverlea.
Optometry, radiography and podiatry are only available to the people of Riverlea through the UJ services.
In addition, the motor development of children is monitored and an annual sports day is arranged for the crèches in Riverlea.
According to a five-year study which examined health in Riverlea and other neighbourhoods such as Hillbrow and Braamfischerville, Riverlea has a wide range of social, environment and health problems.
Patients served from 2010 to 2014
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Optometry (glasses) | 344 | 296 | 249 | 290 | 337 |
| Podiatry (feet) | 316 | 418 | 424 | 464 | 389 |
| Radiography (scans) | NA | NA | NA | 162 | 124 |
UJ Student nurses consult with an average of 1200 patients per year.
Environmental health students consult with approximately 150 households per year.
Sports and movement science students interact with approximately 330 children per year
