As the festive season winds sweep across the country, local health authorities are leaving nothing to chance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have appealed to all chronic patients to collect their medication before heading for holidays and put their health first. They are also appealing to patients to take their medication regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, the Western Cape Department of Health advised patients to visit their nearest collection sites ahead of the festive season and to ensure they have sufficient chronic medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department described the regular intake of treatment as crucial for any patient\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe good news is that patients with stable chronic conditions don\u2019t have to wait in queues to collect their medication. The Western Cape has several innovations in place to make it easier and quicker for patients to collect their medication at their convenience by pre-packing the medication in advance and delivering it closer to our client\u2019s homes,\u201d reads the statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department said through its Chronic Dispensing Unit (CDU) they have prepacked and issued more than 4,5million medication parcels to 390 000 chronic patients this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement continues that the department anticipates another 400 000 parcels to be delivered to their clients during December. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe CDU is an innovation in itself which has enabled further innovations, all intended to make getting medication to clients easier, quicker and more convenient,\u201d reads the statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mzanywa Ndibongo, chair of the Khayelitsha Health Forum (KHF), urged the people to normalise their treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHealth comes first. People must understand that by defaulting they are putting their lives at risk. They must adhere to the doctor\u2019s prescriptions all the time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the December holidays bring a lot of challenges as people travel across the country to meet friends and relatives. He warned patients to stop sharing their medications and advised those on chronic medication to request referral letters in case of emergency while on holiday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a tendency for people to share their medications. You\u2019ll find that if someone is coming from Cape Town maybe has a similar chronic illness to the one in Eastern Cape. The one in Eastern Cape will ask for the medication from the one coming from Cape Town as if it is better than his or her in Eastern Cape. They forget that the doctor prescribed you a certain medication based on your illness,\u201d said Ndibongo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also urged people to stick to their diets as advised by medical practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople are eating everything during the holidays. Sometimes they even forget what the doctor told them to eat or not to eat. And that is dangerous and a person can die for not following the doctor\u2019s order,\u201d said Ndibongo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the festive season winds sweep across the country, local health authorities are leaving nothing to 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