She said self-funding the clinic was expensive because she had to buy hospital beds, drips, drugs, medical equipment that is standard in a clinic and for emergencies as well as pay a salary for her assistant.
“In the future the plan is to hire doctors and nurses to work the different shifts,” Peni said. For now, she has been seeing between 10 and 15 patients a day for R400.
“The circumstances here are different. The town has its own financial challenges and I can’t charge the people here a lot of money like in Johannesburg. In big cities, if you see a patient at night you can charge thousands,” she said.
Peni said she started off by studying nursing at Fort Hare University after her high school refused to sign her medical application papers because she was part of a group that planned a matric dance after-party. “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor but it took me 10 years to complete my studies because of that,” she said.
Peni also saw the need to study to become the first medical examiner in her town because of the high number of people involved in car crashes.
“[This] means I can do reports for the Road Accident Fund and give testimony in court. Before, people had to be flown out to see one.”
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Article source: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-10-23-doctor-opens-first-24-hour-clinic/