Improving health in Joburg

Elderly people have improved access to health care thanks to a City scheme to supply old age homes and elderly day care centres with chronic medication.
JOBURG’S health department is improving access to health for elderly people by increasing the supply of chronic medication to old age homes, retirement villages and elderly day care centres.

MMC for health and human development Nonceba MolweleMMC for health and human development Nonceba Molwele (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)These chronic medicines are supplied and delivered by the City’s pharmacists and health professionals to stable and compliant patients who usually attend public clinics. In a few instances, well-funded old age homes employ their own nurses and doctors but still get government funded supplies.

“These approaches have improved access and availability to the elderly so that they don’t [have] to queue in our already overloaded clinics and health centres. It also assists to reduce the workloads and overcrowding in the clinics,” explains the member of the mayoral committee for health and social development, Nonceba Molwele.

“The City of Johannesburg’s health department has identified several old age homes and retirement villages within the city which are being supplied with medicines and other health promotion support.”

These include Region A’s Cluny Farm Centre, Cresset House, Highveld Gardens, and Diepsloot South Day Centre; Region B’s Japura Retirement Village, Horse Shoe Retirement Village, Jordan House, and Fredericks Place. Phiri Retirement Village in Region D and Region F’s Annie Burger, Elize Venter, and Caric Place have also been identified.

According to Nkosinathi Nkabinde, a City spokesperson, this initiative, which started a month ago, is going well and is helping to reduce the number of people, especially the elderly, queuing at public clinics.

The programme involves assessment of needs, registration of needy patients and the supply of all the needed and prescribed chronic medication including both primary and secondary essential drug list (EDL) medication.

The Langlaagte pharmacy is supported by Helen Joseph Hospital for secondary EDL medications.

Region A health services has an outreach service with Helen Joseph Hospital whereby chronic patients from Diepsloot and surrounding areas can collect their pre-packed medication at OR Tambo Clinic.

For these patients, this means they only have to travel to the hospital once every four months instead of monthly.

Nkabinde says: “Health promotion activities have been conducted to promote healthy living lifestyles and promote effective management of chronic diseases for those that already have chronic illness.”