New mobile clinic brings medical attention to your doorstep |30 September 2020
Dr Anisley and her husband Bernard Mondon next to their mobile health clinic (Photo: Louis Toussaint)
People suffering from diverse health issues and chronic conditions have gladly welcomed medical consultations received at their homes thanks to the services provided by Dr Anisley Mondon from her newly launched Mobile Health Care Clinic.
The clinic, customised in a spacious van, can easily move to the heart of the different communities to bring its services where people live. By coming to you, the clinic removes logistical constraints such as transportation, difficulties getting appointments, long waiting time at health centres and other administrative issues as well as do away with transportation costs.
Dr Anisley is a Cuban national who first came to Seychelles in 2015 to work as a general practitioner on a three-year contract with the Ministry of Health, at the end of which she decided to launch her own private practice through the mobile clinic.
Meeting with her earlier this week in the company of her Seychellois husband Bernard Mondon, who is the mobile clinic driver and at times also acts as her translator, Dr Anisley said during the time she was a doctor in the different health centres around the country she had seen for herself the need for a mobile clinic.
Dr Anisley, who has over 15 years experience as a general practitioner and genetic counsellor, started the process to register and set up her clinic earlier this year but after she was granted her licence, she had to wait for all the medical equipment and disposable supplies she had ordered to get her clinic operational as those could not get through because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This caused some months of delay.
Among the services she is offering include full general consultation and checkups. Such services like dressing, cathether related among others Dr Anisley said she is not doing for the moment as she is still waiting for the related medical stocks. With regard to specimens for laboratory tests, Dr Anisley is using private laboratories to carry out the necessary tests but she said she is trying to look into the possibility to have specimens for the elderly who are pensioners analysed at the Seychelles Hospital laboratories.
For the time being Dr Anisley carries only a small quantity of basic medicine that could help a patient mostly during the night.
After consultations patients get a prescription for medication which their family members can then buy at any private pharmacy.
“Such a clinic is very important to bring services to mostly the elderly population living remotely in the different communities and for whom accessing health centres can be quite a hassle as they need assistance as often they have difficulty to move about unaided,” Dr Anisley pointed out.
She noted that since she has launched her clinic a few months ago and advertised the services she offers through social media, the responses have been very positive and very encouraging.
“The patients have openly expressed their preference to be treated in the comfort of their homes where they get hassle free and more personalised consultations. Such patients need a doctor not only to consult them and prescribe medication but also a doctor who has time to listen to them, understand their problems and concerns and advise them in a comprehensive manner because often at the health centres doctors do not have time to talk to their patients or listen to them,” Dr Anisley noted.
For patients requiring immediate attention and their cases cannot wait, Dr Anisley advised their family members to call for an ambulance immediately.
She said during her visits she also interacts with other members of the family who are taking care of the patients.
Dr Anisley also noted that while people are happy to have a doctor visit them, they are still digesting this novelty of mobile services and they ask a lot of questions and want know more about the services.
She said her clinic is open every day including weekends but she normally works until 10pm each day but remain on call 24 hours where she attends to regular patients only.
The couple, who are currently living at Barbarons, said it is easy for them to move around and reach their patient in reasonable time.
“In the future I plan to see everyone everywhere anytime,” said Dr Anisley, who also added that as she expands her services she plans to hire a nurse to help her out but at present she is managing well by herself.
Marie-Anne Lepathy
Dr Anisley tending to a patient in the comfort of his home
