27 July 2022 is World Osteo-Arthritis Awareness Day, a most common joint condition that often causes disability. The Western Cape Health Department through community orientated primary care (COPC) effectively manages chronic conditions and complex disabling conditions to maximise health status and minimise the requirement for costly hospital care.
Several chronically ill patients receive medication through chronic clubs established in communities. Chronic club staff work together with facilities to ensure that patients access their chronic medication in venues closer to their communities. Khayelitsha and Eastern Substructure’s comprehensive health unit supported by hospitals and clinics manages community health workers from Non-Governmental Organizations such as Right to Care and Philani who deliver chronic medication to patients in communities.
“We do monthly community outreaches consisting of one nurse and a doctor to bring medication to the patients who are part of chronic clubs. We assist patients together with right to care NGO and if there is a need we refer them to hospitals depending on what their problem is. We have friendly services that cater for disabled patients too. At these appointments we look at the patient’s overall health. Right to care further assists some patients who need basic health care like family planning, pap smears etc.” says Sister Johanna Dick, Eerste River Hospital.
“We operate from Sarepta in Kuilsriver. What is nice about a club is that the patients all know each other , even the caregivers would tell us when a club member is not well then we do home visits and issue medication to that patient until they are well enough to come to the clubs” says Sister Andrea Titus, Right to care NGO.
The goal is to continue the roll out of chronic disease adherence clubs throughout Khayelitsha and Eastern supported by NGOS as a means of decongesting clinics, improving patient access to treatment and improving medication adherence.
“We do community awareness programmes to inform patients about the benefits of healthy lifestyles. We ask our patients to please adhere to their appointments and inform us if they have changed their residential addresses or phone numbers” says Nolufefe Mbi, Community Health Care Workers, Philani NGO.
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