Champion Health Care

30/10/2023

Congratulations to the Springboks on their remarkable triumph as the World Cup Champions!! 🏆💫 🏉

24/10/2023

Reflecting on a week of groundbreaking moments at the Africa Health Conference. 🌍💉

From inspiring discussions to our Champion Healthcare exhibit, we're keeping the nostalgia alive.

Here's to a healthier Africa! 🏥❤️

12/10/2023

Experience the future of healthcare at Africa Health 2023!

Join us from October 17th to 19th and witness the pulse-pounding innovation in action. 🌍🏥

24/02/2021

YOU CAN DO THIS AT HOME, SHOULD YOUR CHILD OR EVEN YOU GET HURT....SALT WATER CLEANS THE WOUND, CLEARS BACTERIA AND REDUCES INFECTIONS.🙃🙃😊😊

rinse the wound under running tap water for 5 to 10 minutes. soak a gauze pad or cloth in saline solution or tap water, or use an alcohol-free wipe, and gently dab or wipe the skin with it – don't use antiseptic as this may damage the skin.

23/02/2021

What should I keep in my first aid kit?
It's important to have a well-stocked first aid kit in your home so you can deal with minor accidents and injuries.

Your first aid kit should be locked and kept in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children.

Many people also keep a small first aid kit in their car for emergencies.

Your basic first aid kit
A basic first aid kit may contain:

plasters in a variety of different sizes and shapes
small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings
at least 2 sterile eye dressings
triangular bandages
crêpe rolled bandages
safety pins
disposable sterile gloves
tweezers
scissors

alcohol-free cleansing wipes
sticky tape
thermometer (preferably digital)
skin rash cream, such as hydrocortisone or calendula
cream or spray to relieve insect bites and stings
antiseptic cream
painkillers such as paracetamol (or infant paracetamol for children), aspirin (not to be given to children under 16), or ibuprofen
cough medicine
antihistamine cream or tablets
distilled water for cleaning wounds
eye wash and eye bath
It may also be useful to keep a basic first aid manual or instruction booklet with your first aid kit.

Medicines should be checked regularly to make sure they're within their use-by dates.

19/02/2021

NO TEARS: RAMAPHOSA GETS HIS COVID-19 VACCINE JAB
The country’s first citizen is with of a group of health workers being vaccinated at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town on Wednesday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa received his COVID-19 jab on 17 February 2021 in Khayelitsha. Picture: /Twitter.
President Cyril Ramaphosa received his COVID-19 jab on 17 February 2021 in Khayelitsha. Picture: /Twitter.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Cyril Ramaphosa Coronavirus vaccine
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Kevin Brandt | 2 days ago
CAPE TOWN - In a historic moment for South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has received his COVID-19 jab.

The country’s first citizen is with of a group of health workers being vaccinated at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town on Wednesday.

A glass cubical in Khayelitsha District Hospital’s Trauma unit is where the first round of vaccines was administered.

Nurse Zoliswa Gidi-Dyosi became the first citizen to receive the Johnson & Johnson jab, kicking off the largest vaccination drive in the country's history; some of her colleagues also received their jabs and then it was the president’s turn.

He appeared in good spirits and joked with staff as he received the injection.

Ramaphosa addressed the media after his vaccination: “I’ve just had my vaccination and I must say that at first, I was a bit terrified of this long needle that was going to be embedded into my arm. It happened so quickly, so easily. It was just a prick on my flesh and I really did not feel much pain.”

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has also received his jab.

Sister Milanie Bennett is the Clinical Programme Co-ordinator at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town. She took me through the consent form and explained the inoculation process to me thoroughly before I took the vaccine shot. pic.twitter.com/VnfAkYhDd5

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 () February 17, 2021
Taking the vaccine was quick, easy and not so painful. I urge all our healthcare workers to register to receive their vaccinations as they are our first line of defence against the coronavirus pandemic. 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/11tyl1f9Xs

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 () February 17, 2021
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize receiving the vaccine. pic.twitter.com/ILb1OkVbfJ

— Dr Zweli Mkhize () February 17, 2021
A second healthcare worker has been vaccinated against at the Khayelitsha Hospital today! This officially marks the start of South Africa's vaccination programme! pic.twitter.com/vKfkY4VtJf

— Dr Zweli Mkhize () February 17, 2021
The first 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have been dispatched to 17 sites across the country as part of an implementation study starting on Wednesday.

They arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday night.

Because the vaccine has been studied in South Africa, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority approved an extension of the study that will allow healthcare workers to be vaccinated before the vaccine is officially licenced.

As those first doses are part of the study, the South African taxpayer won’t be footing the bill.

However, the nine million doses of that vaccine secured by government will be paid for by the fiscus.

“A second healthcare worker has been vaccinated against at the Khayelitsha Hospital today! This officially marks the start of South Africa's vaccination programme! ”

19/02/2021

17/02/2021

Ten Reasons to Keep a First-Aid Kit in Your Home and Office
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Accidents and injuries can occur anywhere – at home, at the workplace, while driving or while participating in sports events. They are not wished for but they do happen. Hence, it is essential to be prepared for such medical emergencies.

Keeping a first-aid kit at home and in the office can help you respond effectively to common injuries and emergencies.

Here are the top ten reasons to keep a first-aid kit at your home and office:
1.Treat Injuries Quickly:
First-aid kits help you handle the medical emergencies as quickly as possible. In an emergency, a delay of just a single minute can cause irreconcilable damage. These kits offer basic and instant care for common medical injuries like injuries, burns, cuts etc.



2.Pickering Safety Can Build Kits Custom for Your Home or Workplace:
Pickering Safety first-aid kits are customizable. If you work in a particular niche, we can build a first-aid kit that contains suitable emergency equipment. We provide first-aid kits to a wide array of businesses and professionals in the medical industry, police force and many businesses throughout the Lower Mainland.



3.Everything You Need in One Place:
A first-aid kit contains all vital medical products in one easy location. So, in case of emergency, you do not have to waste valuable time assembling the appropriate medical items.



4.Less Risk of Complication:
A well-equipped first-aid kit, in most cases, can prevent further complication with the injury or medical condition. Keeping a medical kit handy can be cost effective because it’s less likely a wound treated immediately with a first-aid kit will require complex attention in the future.



5.Very Compact Package:
First-aid kits contain all the essential medical contents in a very compact package. You can really take a first-aid kit with you anywhere, whether you’re travelling or living/working in a small space. There’s really no excuse not to keep one on hand!



6.Keep Antibiotics Within Arms Reach:
In case of a cut, it’s imperative to use antibiotics as soon as possible to prevent infection. Pickering Safety First-Aid Kits contain basic antibiotic ointments to be used in emergencies.



7.Stop Blood Loss Immediately:
Sometimes injuries are messy. Applying gauze and bandage immediately will stop the blood loss. It’s difficult to stop blood loss efficiently without the proper medical products on hand and prolonged blood loss can be quite dangerous.



8.Relieve the Pain of a Burn Instantly:
If a burn or scald occurs, first-aid treatment should be applied to the affected area as quickly as possible. The goal is to relieve the pain and prevent further damage. Our Second Skin products make particularly useful additions to any first-aid kit.



9.Prevent the Discomfort of Skin Irritation or Bug Bites:
Wounds and insect bites can be tremendously uncomfortable, if handled immediately and carefully with the appropriate first-aid treatments, the irritation can heal faster and in a more effective way. This will prevent scarring!



10.Be a Helping Hand to a Child or Friend:
If nothing else convinces you – keep in mind that the people around you may not be as prepared as you are. Your first-aid kit may come in handy if anyone around you experiences any of the injuries mentioned above. Kids and elderly people are most susceptible to injuries and accidents. First-aid kits act as an indispensable medical item for all.

12/02/2021

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has noted with concern a series of recent comments and news articles that give the impression that the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, has underplayed the extent of the costs that Covid-19 and the lockdown will impose on the economy.

This is exactly the opposite of the truth. The impression seems to be based on an interview that Minister Patel conducted with the Sunday Times shortly after he had addressed Members of Parliament regarding Covid-19 in a session that was broad-casted live.

In the address to the Parliamentary Committee, he stated that the pandemic has caused a massive and rapid shock on the economy, starting globally and transmitted rapidly to South Africa and the rest of the continent, with a dual impact on the demand and supply-side of the economy.

He also stated that the impact on GDP will be very significant – with a projected recession with severe contraction of the economy in 2020, accompanied by big job losses and firm closures with high levels of social hardship.

Minister Patel told the Parliamentary Committee:

“Our work has indicated that the pandemic will affect the South African economy in very deep and significant ways. The estimates of the impact vary.

“The work is still being done as we see the extent to which different parts of the economy are affected.”

He illustrated with estimates from the IMF, SARB and IDC which projected declines in gross domestic product of approximately 6%.

In the interview Minister Patel made the self-evident point that it was too early to get a firm figure of the extent of the damage with a range of projections by different economists, and that one of the numbers in the public domain referred to a lockdown-cost of about R13 billion a day.

This he pointed out, was simply based on taking the size of the GDP (about R5 trillion) and dividing it by the number of days in a year.

Such a figure is clearly at best a guesstimate of impact since the full extent of the cost would depend on a number of factors; and does not take into account that key sectors were working during the lockdown, including the agriculture and food-processing sectors as well as healthcare and parts of mining.

Unfortunately, the subsequent media story in our view did not contextualise the reply adequately, as it focused on only the Minister Patel’s cautioning of this particular estimate.

On 8 May 2020 Minister Patel addressed a meeting of about 100 CEOs convened by BLSA, where he stated that the pandemic was likely to have a devastating effect on the economy, though the extent of the damage was not yet clear; that many firms in South Africa were in difficulty as a result of the current circumstances and millions of workers were without an income.

The Department would like to reiterate that Minister Patel has consistently put forward the view on the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the SA economy since the declaration of the national disaster.

He pointed out already on 24 March 2020 at a media briefing that the pandemic will put a strain on the economy, including small business owners and ordinary citizens.

Read more about COVID-19

Minister Patel also called for all South Africans and corporates to pull together to ensure that our people and economy come through this challenge with their lives, their jobs, their businesses, their livelihoods and their property intact.

The Department would also like to put it on record that Minister Patel recognises the very significant impact of the pandemic and the lockdown on the economy.

It is imperative that there is a more measured and responsible public commentary during this trying times in our country in particularly and the globe in general, given the enormous consequence on human lives if we get it wrong.

09/02/2021

SA TURNS TO J&J VACCINE TO BEGIN COVID-19 IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is effective against the South African variant of the virus.

In this file photo taken on 17 November 2020 an illustration picture shows vials with COVID-19 vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. Picture: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP
In this file photo taken on 17 November 2020 an illustration picture shows vials with COVID-19 vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. Picture: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP
Coronavirus COVID-19 Coronavirus in South Africa
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Kevin Brandt | about 2 hours ago
CAPE TOWN - South Africa has shifted gears and is now hinging its hopes on the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

During a World Health Organization (WHO) briefing on Monday, the chairperson of government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, said that they were scheduled to roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine in just over a week from now.

READ: SA halts rollout of AstraZeneca vaccine over efficacy against second variant

A small efficacy trial, with 2,026 participants, found that this vaccine offered very little protection against mild to moderate COVID-19 caused by the virus' second variant.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is effective against the South African variant of the virus.

Karim anticipates that the start of the country's immunisation plan will only be pushed back a few days.

He said that the first inoculations would now be done with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which delivered vastly better efficacy results against the virus' second variant.

"Instead of rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine, we'll be rolling out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and that will give us a bit of time and leeway to ensure that we're collecting the necessary data as we roll out the AstraZeneca in a stepwise process."

Karim explained that the AstraZeneca rollout plan entailed inoculating 100,000 people, who'd be monitored.

READ MORE: It would be reckless for SA to discard AstraZeneca vaccines - Mahdi

"It doesn't really, materially affect our start date, it may affect the rate at which we escalate, if we start running short of doses, but as it stands it should not affect much else."

The average age of study participants in the AstraZeneca vaccine trial was 31 years.

Researchers said that protection against moderate to severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed as the target population was at low risk.

08/02/2021

Why should people wear masks?


Masks are a key measure to suppress transmission and save lives.

Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive ‘Do it all!’ approach including physical distancing, avoiding crowded, closed and close-contact settings, good ventilation, cleaning hands, covering sneezes and coughs, and more.

Depending on the type, masks can be used for either protection of healthy persons or to prevent onward transmission.

Who should wear what kind of mask?
Medical masks are recommended for:

Health workers in clinical settings. See our guidance for more information on the use of personal protective equipment by health care workers.
Anyone who is feeling unwell, including people with mild symptoms, such as muscle aches, slight cough, sore throat or fatigue.
Anyone awaiting COVID-19 test results or who has tested positive.
People caring for someone who is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 outside of health facilities.
Medical masks are also recommended for the following groups, because they are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 and dying:

People aged 60 or over.
People of any age with underlying health conditions, including chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, immunocompromised patients and diabetes mellitus.
Non-medical, fabric masks can be used by the general public under the age of 60 and who do not have underlying health conditions.

When should masks be worn by the general public?
In areas where the virus is circulating, masks should be worn when you’re in crowded settings, where you can’t be at least 1 metre from others, and in rooms with poor or unknown ventilation. It’s not always easy to determine the quality of ventilation, which depends on the rate of air change, recirculation and outdoor fresh air. So if you have any doubts, it’s safer to simply wear a mask.

You should always clean your hands before and after using a mask, and before touching it while wearing it.

While wearing a mask, you should still keep physical distance from others as much as possible. Wearing a mask does not mean you can have close contact with people.

For indoor public settings such as busy shopping centres, religious buildings, restaurants, schools and public transport, you should wear a mask if you cannot maintain physical distance from others.

If a visitor comes to your home who is not a member of the household, wear a mask if you cannot maintain a physical distance or the ventilation is poor.

When outside, wear a mask if you cannot maintain physical distance from others. Some examples are busy markets, crowded streets and bus stops.

Even when you’re in an area of COVID-19 transmission, masks should not be worn during vigorous physical activity because of the risk of reducing your breathing capacity. No matter how intensely you exercise, keep at least 1 metre away from others, and if you’re indoors, make sure there is adequate ventilation.

04/02/2021

The 4 PPE Levels include:
Level A: According to OSHA Level A PPE should be worn when, “when the greatest level of skin, respiratory, and eye protection is required.” This type of protective equipment is needed for dealing with highly toxic and dangerous chemicals such as ammonia.

Level A protection consists of: 1. Positive pressure air respirator with emergency self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that has been approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) OR full face-piece SCBA with positive pressure. 2. Inner and outer chemical resistant gloves 3. Coveralls (as needed) 4. Long Underwear (as needed) 5. Fully protective chemical suit 6. Hard hat (to be worn under the protective suit) (as needed) 7. Chemical resistant steel-toe and boots. The boot shank, the supportive structure between the insole and outsole, must also be steel. 8. A disposable protective set of suit, boots and gloves. These protective items may be worn over the protective suit.

Level B: Level B PPE should be worn when an employee needs the highest level of respiratory protection, but less skin and eye protection is necessary. This protective ensemble is used on initial site entries where hazards may not have been fully identified yet.

Level B protection consists of: 1. Positive pressure air respirator with emergency self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that has been approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 2. Chemical-resistant gloves (double-layered) 3. Clothing that is resistant to chemicals 4. Chemical resistant steel-toe and boots. The boot shank, the supportive structure between the insole and outsole, must also be steel.

Level C: Level C PPE is similar to Level B; however, Level C protection is selected when, “the concentration(s) and type(s) of airborne substance(s) is known and the criteria for using air purifying respirators are met” (OSHA.gov).

Level C protective equipment consists of: 1. Air purifying half-mask or full-face respirators that have been approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 2. Chemical-resistant clothing, with hood - two-piece chemical-splash suit and disposable chemical-resistant overalls. 3. Out and inner chemical-resistant gloves 4. Chemical resistant steel-toe and boots. The boot shank, the supportive structure between the insole and outsole, must also be steel. 5. Outer boot-covers (chemical-resistant) 9. Escape mask (as needed) 6. Face shield (as needed) 7. Hard hat (as needed) 8. Coveralls (as needed)

Level D: Level D PPE is used for “nuisance” level contaminants and offers minimal protection to the employer.

Level D protection consists of: 1. Coveralls 2. Gloves 3. Steel toe and shank boots (chemical-resistant) 4. Boot covers (disposable) 5. Safety glasses 6. Escape mask (optional) 7. Hard hat (optional) 8. Face shield (optional)

PPE generally includes 4 types of protection:

Respiratory – Responders should be wearing the proper equipment to protect them from breathing contaminated air. This consists of respirators that must be approved by NIOSH. Respirators work by removing contaminants from the air, or by providing clean air from an external source such as a SCBA.

Eye & Face – According to the CDC, everyday about 2000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. Eye and face protection prevent workers from being injured by hazardous fragments such as sparks and chemical splashes. It is essential you are trained to use the proper eye and face protection, as it could prevent serious injury.

Skin – Protective skin equipment prevents responders from being exposed to harmful chemicals via skin contact.

Noise – Exposure to loud noises can cause hearing loss, disorientation, and anxiety. Using protective noise equipment such as earplugs or earmuffs can prevent damages to your hearing. While seemingly overwhelming, the OSHA PPE guidelines serve to protect you in dangerous situations. Any in-depth HAZWOPER course will go over personal protective equipment and applications with you. National Environmental Trainers offer 8, 24, and 40 hour online courses in compliance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 regulations – as well as many other programs for employers and employees to obtain HAZWOPER training.