While the Health Department remains geared to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic (including a possible second wave of infections), it wants to scale up essential health services in a balanced manner.
When comparing April 2020 to April 2019, 68% less persons visited primary health care facilities in the Metro and 37% in the Rural Areas. There has also been a 51% reduction in elective surgical procedures in the Metro and 42% in the Rural areas.
The Department is particularly concerned about a reduction in essential and basic primary healthcare services including immunisations and TB screenings.
Chronic disease management (Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.), HIV and TB management, Child and Women’s health (including immunizations) have seen significant reduction in uptake and will be scaled up systematically.
A systematic scale-up of elective surgery is being planned at many hospitals, as possible.
📢@WestCapeHealth & @AviroHealth keeping you safe in the 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼 with 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽📲Say “𝗛𝗶” to 𝟬𝟴𝟳 𝟮𝟰𝟬 𝟲𝟭𝟮𝟮 #PocketClinic 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 pic.twitter.com/Aqv0AH6FIg
— WesternCapeHealth (@WestCapeHealth) June 19, 2020
