Since 2023, the Sishen Iron Ore Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT) has supported an ongoing healthcare program bringing integrated screening and primary healthcare services to underserved communities across two districts in the Northern Cape and additional communities in Limpopo. Supported through SIOC-CDT’s corporate social investment, the program combines mobile clinics, healthcare professionals and digital technology to deliver daily screening services in rural and remote areas. Vertice Mobile Health delivers the mobile healthcare services. Healthcare Framework (HCF) provides the clinical data management, referral and case management platform, while Nexus AI CXR supports AI-assisted chest X-ray screening within the TB and lung health service.
Program reach since 2023
The challenge: access to healthcare and continuity of care
For people living in rural and remote communities, accessing healthcare can involve long journeys, transport costs and repeated visits for different services. These barriers can delay screening, further investigation and treatment. Community outreach brings services closer to people. However, its lasting value also depends on what happens after screening, whether results remain accessible, referrals are followed up and clients are connected to appropriate care. The SIOC-CDT program addresses both needs by combining mobile service delivery with a shared electronic health record and structured referral and case management.
An integrated approach to community healthcare
Mobile clinics and outreach teams work within communities and alongside healthcare facilities to provide services according to local needs and outreach schedules.
Primary healthcare and wellness
Clinical assessments and health risk screening, including blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index and lifestyle risks.
HIV screening
Screening, testing and counselling, supported by referral and follow-up for clients requiring further care.
TB and lung health
Symptom and risk assessment, chest X-ray screening, AI-assisted image assessment and referral for further investigation where indicated.
School health
Selected outreach programs assessing children’s health needs and identifying concerns requiring further assessment or referral.
Women’s health
Breast and cervical cancer screening, with referral and follow-up for women requiring further investigation.
One outreach visit
Delivering these services through one program allows teams to address several health needs during an outreach visit, with findings recorded in a connected patient record.
HCF - One patient record across services and visits
HCF provides the clinical information platform supporting the program, from initial registration through screening, referral and follow-up. Each client’s assessments and subsequent visits are linked to a single electronic health record. This brings together information across wellness, HIV, TB and lung health, school health and women’s health services, helping teams maintain a continuing view of the client’s healthcare needs.
The platform supports:
- Digital registration. Client details and subsequent encounters linked to an existing patient record.
- Structured clinical assessments. Care plans supporting consistent capture of screening findings and clinical information.
- Connected results. Available chest X-ray, AI, radiologist and laboratory results accessible within the clinical workflow.
- Referral management. Referral documentation and identification of clients requiring further assessment.
- Case management. Tracking outstanding results, follow-up actions and recorded treatment information.
- Program reporting. Consolidated information across participating teams, services and locations.
The impact on communities
- Reaching people closer to home. More than 50 000 people have accessed wellness, HIV and TB screening through the program since 2023. Mobile clinics bring services into rural and remote areas, helping address geographical and transport barriers to screening.
- Supporting children’s health. More than 10 000 children have been screened through the school health programme. These activities create opportunities to identify health concerns and refer children for further assessment and support.
- Expanding access to women’s cancer screening. More than 4 000 women have received breast and cervical cancer screening. Dedicated outreach brings these services closer to communities and provides a pathway for further investigation when concerns are identified.
Sustained support for rural healthcare
Active since 2023, the SIOC-CDT program demonstrates how sustained corporate social investment can support ongoing access to integrated community healthcare. By bringing together Vertice Mobile Health’s clinical delivery, HCF’s electronic health records and case management, and Nexus AI-assisted chest X-ray screening, the program connects community outreach with a continuing pathway to further assessment, referral and care.
“Improved TB, HIV, and Women’s health screening through the SIOC-Vertice collaboration has reduced waiting times and significantly increased access to care.”SR Kealobigile Ohimile, TB Programme Manager, John Taolo Gaetsewe District, Northern Cape Department of Health
