More than 450 Engen pump attendants and other retail franchise staff responded to a call to action: ‘Come for a free check-up” at a Forecourt Wellness Day.

The Forecourt Wellness Day allowed the pump attendants and their colleagues to participate in a mass voluntary health screening for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol at Engen’s annual Phambili Roadshow in Cape Town.

The pilot campaign, which took place at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town on 26 November, brought to a close a record Driver Wellness 2013 campaign for Engen. It also marked the first time that the company has extended the health screening offered under that programme to forecourt employees.

Driver Health matters
Driver Wellness, a joint venture between Engen and Trucking Wellness (an initiative of the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics industry), is currently in its third year.

The campaign educates long distance truck drivers about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle while on the road. Besides screening for conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, TB, HIV/AIDS and body mass index [BMI], the programme also provides counselling and a referral service where required, and promotes health awareness with talks on HIV and male circumcision.

This year’s campaign visited 17 Engen sites between March and October, screening 1052 drivers. The last leg of the campaign, run alongside the Phambili Roadshow, brought total screenings for the year to a record 1500 – an increase of 78% over the 841 drivers screened in 2012. “We were aiming for a 30% increase, so it was touching to see so many people taking action for their health,” says Khanyisa Balfour, Engen’s Group Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Manager.

Due to time pressures, the plan at the Phambili Roadshow was to offer screening for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. What wasn’t anticipated was the significant number of forecourt employees who requested voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS, says Balfour. “This came as a pleasant surprise. It may be an indication of decreasing stigma against HIV/AIDS.  At very short notice we arranged the necessary counsellors, registered nurses and the facilities to guarantee privacy as we could not deny such a request.”

Frontline first
Balfour says the inclusion of retail staff this year is part of Engen’s strategy to optimise and leverage the success of the Driver Wellness programme. ”The decision is based on observations made during previous campaigns. Forecourt employees invariably showed a keen interest in doing the screening before everyone else. We then made a call to action and challenged dealers and sales managers to come and lead by example on the day.”

She says forecourt employees leave their homes very early and often go home late and don’t have sufficient time to take care of their health. “By offering primary healthcare to them we are delivering real convenience. Forecourt staff can also benefit from a proactive approach to wellness, which enables early detection and preventative measures. Their health matters to us, because it matters to them and their families.”

Balfour says the element of anonymity made a major difference. “Health clinics can’t really offer the same kind of privacy in waiting rooms with giveaway signage. People were prepared to wait their turn for it.”

She recalls a comment from Milton – a forecourt manager from a Paarl service station, who told her: “I always knew Engen cared and as someone with a 27-year record at the company this makes me proud.”

For more information please contact Khanyisa Balfour on (021) 403 4531 or via email on khanyisa.balfour@engenoil.com