School of Nursing’s community care initiative bears fruit
A community care initiative started by the North-West University’s School of Nursing Science (SONS), is reaping benefits after several lemon trees they planted at various healthcare facilities in and around Potchefstroom have started to bear fruit.
A community care initiative started by the North-West University’s School of Nursing Science (SONS), is reaping benefits after several lemon trees they planted at various healthcare facilities in and around Potchefstroom have started to bear fruit.
The second-year nursing students of 2015 and 2018 planted these trees at several clinics so the community could have free lemons to make a cough remedy. This project also forms part of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), as prescribed by the Department of Health.
According to the guidelines, part of the treatment for a coughing child is the remedy of warm water or weak tea with sugar/honey and lemon to soothe the throat and relieve the cough.
Last month, the second years provided health education at the clinics and taught the parents of children from birth to five years how to prepare and use the remedy. They also prepared small gift bags, containing teabags, sugar and lemons for the parents and elderly.
Each clinic takes care of its trees. Every year, they compete to see whose trees are best cared for. This year, Mohadin clinic took the honours. As a token of their appreciation, SONS awarded them with a third tree.
