Village Health

11/10/2026

🎉 **Happy Birthday, Rachel!** 🥳🎂

Wishing our wonderful paediatric occupational therapist, **Rachel Carey**, a very happy birthday! 💛

May your special day be filled with love, laughter and all the things that make you smile. Thank you for the amazing work you do and the difference you make in the lives of the little ones and their families. 🧸✨

We hope the year ahead brings you loads of happiness, success and beautiful moments!

**Lots of birthday love from all of us at Village Health Medical Centre!** 🎈💚

01/10/2026

🌿 Meet Mateenah Dewangree | Physiotherapist

We’re excited to welcome Mateenah Dewangree, a qualified physiotherapist with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from Stellenbosch University, to Village Health Medical Centre!

Mateenah completed her community service year at Church of Scotland Hospital in rural KwaZulu-Natal, gaining valuable experience working with a diverse range of patients.

She has a special interest in pain management, orthopaedic rehabilitation and chronic conditions, and has furthered her training in pain mechanisms and Level 1 & 2 Dry Needling.

Her approach is evidence-informed and patient-centred, with a focus on understanding the person behind the pain and helping patients achieve meaningful, lasting improvements in movement and function.

Outside of the clinic, Mateenah loves travelling, discovering new restaurants, finding the perfect cup of coffee ☕ and is a very proud cat mom! 🐈

📧 [email protected]
📱 076 974 6442

Welcome to Village Health, Mateenah! We’re so happy to have you as part of our healthcare community. 🌿💙

23/09/2026

👶 Our paediatrician is in this weekend!

Dr Elbeth Hoffman will be available for paediatric consultations this weekend—whether your little one is unwell or you have a concern you’d like checked.

Appointments are limited, so please book in advance.

📞 Call us on 032 061 0619 or book online through our website.

📍 Village Health Medical Centre, Umhlali

We are a full-service health care facility with a team of professionals who care about you.

18/09/2026

Please note that our rooms will close at 12:00 on Saturday, 19 September.

Kindly plan your visit or appointment accordingly. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 🌿

📞 032 061 0619
📱 WhatsApp: 071 329 1993

14/09/2026

🌿 Meet Rayne, Clinical Psychologist 🌿

We are delighted to welcome Rayne to Village Health Medical Centre.

Rayne believes therapy provides a safe and compassionate space to explore your experiences, better understand yourself and create meaningful change. She works collaboratively with her clients to identify the patterns that influence how they think, feel and relate to themselves and others—supporting greater emotional well-being and resilience.

Rayne works with children, adolescents and adults and can assist with a wide range of psychological and emotional difficulties.

She completed her professional training at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and gained experience at Fort Napier Hospital, Town Hill Hospital, Addington Hospital and several community clinics. Rayne is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Clinical Psychologist.

To enquire about an appointment with Rayne, contact her directly:

📞 073 006 8519

07/09/2026

🤧🌿 Spring is beautiful… your sinuses may disagree.

The warmer weather is finally here, but unfortunately so are the sneezing, itchy eyes, runny noses and blocked sinuses that often come along with it!

If you find yourself reaching for the tissues every spring, seasonal allergies could be the culprit.

A few things that may help:

🌿 Keep windows closed on particularly windy days
🚿 Shower and change clothes after spending lots of time outdoors
🛏️ Wash bedding regularly
👃 Avoid known allergy triggers where possible
💊 Speak to your doctor about appropriate allergy treatment if symptoms are bothering you

And remember — not every blocked or runny nose is just allergies. If your symptoms are persistent, severe, accompanied by fever, breathing difficulties or you simply aren’t sure what’s causing them, it’s worth getting checked.

Enjoy the sunshine without letting your sinuses steal the show! ☀️🌿

03/09/2026

🌿 Healthcare through every stage of life

Sometimes you need a doctor because you’re sick. Sometimes it’s for a check-up, a concern you’ve been putting off, or simply because something doesn’t feel quite right.

Dr Maxine Francisco offers comprehensive GP care with particular interests in:
🌸 Women’s health
👵 Geriatric care
✨ Aesthetic medicine
🩺 General & family medicine

From everyday illnesses and preventative care to navigating the health changes that come with different stages of life, her approach is centred around listening, understanding the bigger picture and finding the right way forward for each patient. 🩺

So, if there’s something you’ve been meaning to have checked… consider this your little reminder to book that appointment. 🌿

📍 Village Health Medical Centre, Umhlali
📞 032 061 0619
📱 WhatsApp: 071 329 1993

02/09/2026

Happy Secretary Day to the real MVPs of Village Health 🌿

Behind every appointment booked, phone answered, patient reassured, problem solved (and occasional fire put out 😅), are these four incredible ladies.

Angelene, Vanessa, Lee and Rene — thank you for being the calm in the chaos, the friendly faces our patients know and trust, and for handling the million little things that keep Village Health running every single day.

So much of what you do happens quietly behind the scenes, but it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed.

Today we celebrate YOU — our reception team, problem-solvers, organisers, multitaskers and all-round superstars. 💚

Happy Secretary Day! We appreciate you more than you know. 🌿

01/09/2026

🌸 HELLO, SPRING! 🌸

Spring has officially arrived — bringing warmer days, beautiful blooms… and for some of us, a whole lot of sneezing! 🤧🌿

If spring tends to bring out your itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, blocked nose or sinus troubles, you’re definitely not alone.

A few simple ways to make allergy season a little easier:

🌿 Keep windows closed on particularly windy days
🚿 Shower and change clothes after spending lots of time outdoors
🛏️ Wash bedding regularly
👃 Consider a saline nasal rinse
💊 Speak to your doctor about the right allergy treatment if symptoms are bothering you

And remember — not every blocked nose or cough is “just allergies.” If symptoms are persistent, worsening, or you’re simply not sure, it’s worth getting checked.

Here’s to warmer days, fresh starts and hopefully fewer sneezes! 🌸☀️

30/08/2026

We would love to hear from you! 😊

What health topic would you like our Village Health doctors and healthcare professionals to explain next?

A few ideas:

A. Women’s health
B. Babies and children
C. Skin checks and mole mapping
D. Mental health
E. Chronic conditions
F. Vaccinations
G. Allergies and asthma
H. Something else entirely

Leave your answer in the comments or send us a private message. There really is no such thing as a silly health question—and if you’re wondering about it, chances are someone else is too!