Mobile clinics funded by Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) have delivered 338,542 free consultations since the programme launched in 2017, reaching nine communities with limited access to basic healthcare services in the Namanhumbir area of Montepuez district, Cabo Delgado province, as of the end of September 2026.

According to the company, the consultations cover a range of specialities, with a particular focus on maternal and child health. In 2026, monthly attendance has averaged between 1,200 and 2,500 consultations, compared with more than 5,000 in previous years.

In a statement sent to Diário Económico, MRM attributed the decline partly to the opening of the Namahaca Health Centre, which was built in 2023 using revenues from taxes paid by MRM to the state. The new facility has allowed patient flows across the region to be better distributed and eased pressure on the two mobile clinics, which operate on a rotation basis.

‘Despite this reduction, the importance of the services remains, particularly for communities that previously had to travel between ten and 25 kilometres to reach the Namanhumbir Health Post, which has also benefited from expansion works funded by the company,’ the statement said.

Jacinta Luís, a resident of the Nsewe community and a beneficiary of the programme, described the impact of the mobile clinics on access to healthcare, especially for pregnant women, children and other patients. ‘There was a great deal of suffering when we fell ill — pregnant women would give birth along the road trying to reach the hospital in Namanhumbir. The mobile clinics ended that suffering by attending to children, pregnant women and other patients in their own communities,’ she said.

The initiative is implemented in partnership with the Montepuez District Government, through the District Services for Health, Women and Social Action. Public authorities are responsible for supplying medical equipment, medicines and healthcare professionals, while MRM covers the operational costs of the project, including the salaries of staff assigned to the service.

According to the company, more than 30,000 people from local communities benefit from the various health initiatives it supports, which complement the efforts of public authorities and seek to broaden access to essential services.

Montepuez Ruby Mining is located in northeastern Mozambique and is 75% owned by Gemfields, with the remaining 25% held by Mozambican company Mwiriti Limitada.