Reaching women in rural areas with mobile clinics
Thousands of Balinese women living in rural areas of the island have extremely limited access to reproductive and sexual health services. In order to increase their access and to improve their lives and communities we travel to these areas to conduct a mobile clinic, where we deliver Pap tests, HIV/AIDS and STI tests, breast examinations, counselling, treatment, education materials, as well as general health check-ups.
The mobile clinic services are for the entire community, not only for women (though women of reproductive age are the demographic accessing the services the most). The day before a mobile clinic our staff prepare the equipment, supplies, medicines, forms, brochures and information materials. Mobile clinics are usually conducted in a community centre.
Promotion of the clinic starts about one week before and on the day the mobile clinic starts around 7am. Our staff are responsible for client registration, conducting general check-ups and examinations, screening for reproductive health problems, and providing education materials. Usually around 120 clients attend each mobile clinic.
The first mobile clinic was conducted in August 2013 in Denpasar. Until December 2014, YRS rented cars to conduct the clinic services, but in January 2015, with the support of the Australian Consulate General in Bali we purchased a car. This made delivering reproductive and sexual health services to rural Balinese women much easier.
In 2017 we purchased a special vehicle that allows us to transport and use sensitive medical equipment such as a portable ultrasound and “See & Treat” cryotherapy unit to remote villages.
We now conduct 18 mobile clinics a year, often in association with students from Udayana University.
Through the mobile clinic services, we are able to reach thousands of more Balinese women and improve their health, their lives, and their communities. This is our number one goal and the mobile clinics help to achieve this.