Programme brings free medical care to rural Pongola residents
This formed part of the KZN Department of Health's "iSibhedlela Kubantu" programme which started with medical officials performing home visits and vaccinating against Covid-19.
MORE than 300 community members received life-saving medical care, from eye tests to circumcisions, at Belgrade sport field in Pongola last Friday.
This formed part of the KZN Department of Health’s “iSibhedlela Kubantu” programme which started with medical officials performing home visits and vaccinating against Covid-19.
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“We are extremely pleased to have brought these services to the local community, as this is what primary healthcare is about,” said KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane.
“We want to encourage people to prevent diseases by getting used to the idea of screening and testing.
If [diseases] are picked up early, it’s easier for them to be treated or managed.
“We are very happy with the turnout, especially because all patients would have ordinarily had to walk long distances to visit healthcare facilities.”
The team included a medical doctor, physiotherapist and professional nurses, with referrals made to hospitals where needed.
In total, medical officials performed 57 circumcisions on men and boys; screened 279 people for tuberculosis and 12 for prostate cancer; tested 54 women for cervical cancer and started four on HIV mediation.
At least 180 patients were checked by an optometrist, with eight receiving glasses. The team also distributed walking sticks, started women on birth control, and extracted teeth.
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