Pretoria – The Gauteng Department of Health has made great strides during the 2012/13 financial year, with more than 43 000 assistive devices such as hearing aids and wheelchairs been issued to the vulnerable.
The department highlighted that in all public health facilities, people with physical and mental disabilities, including the elderly, children under the age of six, pregnant women and those who are on disability grants, received free health care.
“During this period, wheelchair users were also able to access free repair services through the province’s wheelchair repair workshops. The province has also made improvements in staffing specialised rehabilitation units at Dr George Mukhari, South Rand, Tshwane Rehabilitation, Edenvale and Natalspruit Hospitals.
“Posts in all medical orthotics and prosthetics centres are now filled and podiatry staff has increased from five to 13 since 2007,” the department said.
The department added that it is also implementing bold interventions to attract more people with disabilities into the organisation. The total number of people with disabilities recruited in the department increased from 405 in 2011 to 545 by March 2012.
The department is also continuing with the support of the elderly -- this is done through initiatives such as provision of community based care.
“With the programme, the community health workers ensure that senior citizen are being visited at their old age homes and are being provided with screening and treatment for chronic conditions services.
“Some of the services offered include cataract surgeries to eliminate preventable blindness, dentures to improve digestion and oxygen therapy at home. Through the programme medication is also delivered to the homes of our elderly communities.”
In addition, the department has also established fast queues for the elderly in 14 community health centres, thus exceeding the national target of 10. Elderly people can now access 280 functional support groups for the four major chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, asthma and epilepsy).
Furthermore, there are 68 support groups which promote healthy lifestyles for older people at community level throughout the province. – SAnews.gov.za
