The Alex community and the city council engaged in a health summit to look into challenges impeding the provision of health services in the area.
The chief director health services Meisie Lerutla said they have a staff shortage in the primary health care, pharmacy and environmental health units. This affected the deployment of professional nurses for the schools health programme and will impact the ward-based health outreach programmes being introduced. She added the medical supply depot sometimes ran out of medicines and drugs, but always found alternatives and provided orders on time.
Lerutla added the upgrade and development of new facilities was on schedule, but there were concerns of vandalism. She implored residents to contribute towards security as the facilities were for their benefit. She added the provision of primary health services required residents’ involvement by maintaining their personal health and environmental hygiene. “Take responsibility of your own health by improving your eating habits, exercise and go for regular health screening.”
She further urged them to partner with the city’s environmental health programme by eliminating dumping, in order to eliminate rodents which are carriers of diseases. Lerutla encouraged them to also utilise all of council’s health services. “They provide preventative health through outreach health promotions, campaigns, curative chronic care, immunisations, child growth monitoring, maternal and oral health, HIV treatment, adherence counselling and youth-friendly health services. These services will soon be boosted by the ward based outreach teams designed to fast track home-based treatment and health awareness.”
The residents expressed concerns about lack of 24-hour services to complement the Alex Clinic which is over burdened. They complained about Edenvalle clinic, for allegedly poor services. Their other concerns were lack of bylaw enforcement against dumping, lack of dumping sites, proper dust bins and over-crowding ,which contributed to many health hazards. Also, they urged government to reopen nursing colleges to alleviate shortage of staff and reduce reliance on external recruitment.The delayed introduction of the E health programme was cited as cause for people seeking treatment at all clinics resulting in shortage of medicines. A concern was also raised about the city’s delay in taking over the Alexandra Clinic to ensure its reliable funding.
Details: www.gadf.org.za
