An enterprising and dedicated young doctor has provided a medical lifeline for her rural hometown community in KwaZulu-Natal, using her personal savings to open a clinic in a shipping container and improve access to healthcare, reports New24.
A TikTok video showing the clinic being lowered into place by a crane had gone viral after Dr Nonkululeko Dlamini posted it with the caption: “From rural roots to serving rural communities. This one is for ugogo.”
The clip has since attracted more than 200 000 views, with social media users praising the young doctor’s decision to return to her roots.
Dlamini told News24 that opening the Dr NF Dlamini Medical Centre in Embedwini, Wartburg, had always been part of her long-term plan, with her dream stemming from growing up in an area with limited healthcare services.
She said her childhood experiences, particularly watching her late grandmother struggle to reach medical care, had shaped her decision.
“My grandmother, who was a pensioner and a diabetic, had to take two taxis to get to a doctor and another two to get home. That motivated me to study so that one day I could come back and bring healthcare closer to my community.”
Dlamini graduated as a doctor from the University of the Witwatersrand in December 2020, before completing her internship in Durban and community service in Mount Fletcher, Eastern Cape.
After being unemployed for five months. she opened a private practice in Durban to generate an income while saving towards her dream of returning home.
“The goal was always to come home, but I needed capital. Because I had been unemployed, I couldn’t get funding, so I started a private practice in Durban, where the turnover was quicker. I saved those profits and used them to buy the two-room container.”
She said a conventional building would have cost far more than she could afford.
The doctor hopes the modest beginning will one day grow into a comprehensive healthcare centre offering services like dentistry, optometry, X-rays, and nursing care, while also creating jobs for unemployed healthcare professionals.
The practice currently charges R300 per consultation, including medication or treatment provided during the visit.
“The practice isn’t completely free, but we keep our fees as low as possible,” she said. “Everything is self-funded. The money we charge simply keeps the practice running because I have to pay staff, like the receptionist and the professional nurse who assists me.
Dlamini continues working in private practice to support herself financially while running the container clinic three days a week.
A professional nurse remains on site when she is away, while she also provides telephonic consultations where necessary.
The clinic is currently operating with a generator, but despite the limited infrastructure, it already offers consultations for adults and children, chronic disease management, pregnancy ultrasounds, HIV screening, blood pressure and blood sugar testing, Pap smears, and men’s and women’s health services.
Dlamini said the project was deeply personal, and although her grandmother has since died, she feels as if she’s fulfilled part of her dream of making healthcare more accessible.
She added that sometimes, “you don’t need a lot of money or resources”.
“You can simply start where you are with what you have. There is a gap that needs to be filled. Many qualified healthcare professionals are unemployed, while communities still lack access to healthcare.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Limpopo doctor sells sandwiches to fund patients’ surgeries
Villagers build own clinic after years with no healthcare
Rural doctor of the year gives back to community that shaped her