Tips For North West Health MEC

10/02/2020

Crimean Congo Fever Patient Transferred from Private Health Facility to Klerksdorp Hospital HID Unit.

Klerksdorp - Klerksdop-Tshepong Hospital Complex in the North West Province has once again proven its success rate in managing complicated cases and contentious diseases by admitting a patient with Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever at Klerksdorp Hospital HID Unit. Under normal circumstances, public health facilities will be expected to transfer to the private counterparts. The Klerksdorp Hospital HID Unit is however not only equipped to manage cases of this magnitude but boosts of specialists and essential skill equal to the task.

The Department can confirm that a patient from around Klerksdorp presented to Anncron Private Hospital Medical Emergency with a history of tick bite followed by flu like symptoms with headache, generalized body ache and fatigue.

The Hospital received a call from Anncron Emergency Unit for referral of the patient highly suspected of Congo Fever on the 08 February 2020, at 11H00am. Preparations and arrangement to transfer the patient to Klerksdorp Hospital Highly Infectious Unit (HID) were done, and the patient was received around 13H30.

Initial assessment show that the patient was clinically stable. No active bleeding noted. The initial treatment started immediately, according to Dr. Wanis Shali; Specialist Physician and Nephrologist currently a Consultant in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) confirm that the blood tests from the Institute for Communicable Diseases that the patient has contracted Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

He is responding well to the treatment under close observation and there are no complications at the moment.

Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a disease caused by tick–borne virus (nairovirus) of the bunyaviridae family with case fatality of 10-40%. It can also be transmitted through animal blood, secretion, organs or other fluid of infected animal or person.

Incubation period is usually one to three days, with a maximum of nine days after tick bite. The incubation period following contact with infected blood or tissue is usually five to six days with documented maximum of thirteen days.

Symptoms of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever are: sudden high fever, bleeding, muscle pain, dizziness, neck pain, stiffness, backache and headache, sore eyes, with sensitivity to light, nausea, and vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and sore throat followed by confusion with resultant liver failure.

Prevention and control measures for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever involves avoiding and minimizing exposure to infected ticks by using repellents, and early correct removal of ticks.

NB!!! Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever must in no way be seen as Coronavirus which is an air borne outbreak.

Issued by North West Department of Health

End.

22/11/2019

04/11/2019

CALL FOR NHI SUPPORT

Attention!!!

Dial *134*1994*844 # in support of NHI and follow instructions please. It’s free of charge and takes only a minute.

Let’s support the NHI Bill good People,it’s closing on the 28th of November..

Let’s support our Bill

15/10/2019

The North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha will hold NHI Consultative Meetings as per attached schedule. The focus will be on the NHI Bill which is open for public comments.

14/08/2019

18/07/2019

Budget Speech Highlights

11/07/2019

Health MEC Madoda Sambatha will deliver the Department's Budget Vote and Policy Speech at the North West Provincial Legislature on the 18 July 2019 at 09 am.

20/06/2019

SONA 2019 - WHAT PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT HEALTH

"To improve the quality of life of South Africans, to reduce poverty in all its dimensions and to strengthen our economy, we will attend to the health of our people.

We must attend to the capacity of our hospitals and clinics.

An 80-year-old grandmother cannot spend an entire day in a queue waiting for her medication.

An ill patient cannot be turned away because there is a shortage of doctors and nurses.

A woman in labour cannot have her unborn child’s life put in danger because the ambulance has taken too long to come.

As part of the work we must urgently do to improve the quality of the health system, we are finalising the Presidential Health Summit Compact, which draws on the insights and will mobilise the capabilities of all key stakeholders to address the crisis in our clinics and hospitals.

We are far advanced in revising the NHI detailed plan of implementation, including accelerating quality of care initiatives in public facilities, building human resource capacity, establishment of the NHI Fund structure, and costing the administration of the NHI Fund.

We remain concerned about rising HIV infections rates, particularly among young women, and the relatively low numbers of men testing for HIV and starting treatment.

We will intensify our work to implement the 90-90-90 strategy to end HIV as a public health threat, which includes increasing the number of people on treatment by at least another 2 million by December 2020".

10/06/2019

MEDIA STATEMENT ON MANAGING SECOND LINE ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT

To: ​​Editors & Health Journalists
Issued by: ​Ministry of Health
Date: ​​ Monday, 10 June 2019

The Ministry of Health has noted with concern recent reports regarding the shortage of certain ARVs. Here are the facts:

- The majority of patients (over 90%) that are on ARV treatment receive the first line option which is a single dose fixed dose combination of Tenofovir/Emtricitabine/Efavirenz tablet. This first line treatment is widely available and there is no shortage of this product.

- Some patients (6%) are resistant/cannot tolerate the first line regimen and are then put onto the second line regimen of abacavir/lamivudine or zidovudine/lamivudine. The majority of patients moved to 2nd line largely due to resistance and not tolerability.

- There is a global shortage of lamivudine which has affected the availability of abacavir/lamivudine and zidovudine/lamivudine.

- Mylan is contracted to supply abacavir/lamivudine and zidovudine/lamivudine however they are affected by the global shortage and cannot supply the entire ordered quantities. Mylan is supplying stock on a weekly basis as it is being produced.

- Due to the current supply constraints, we have advised provincial departments to closely monitor the distribution and rational use of these medicines until the supply is fully restored.

- These measures include firstly the redistribution of stock between facilities so there is no stock piling in any particular facility so that all patients receive treatment.

- Secondly patients should be dispensed a lower quantity of stock than usual which may include issuing a month’s supply instead of the standard two- or three-month supply.

Our clinicians have been informed that if the implementation of the above two measures are unsuccessful and there is no treatment (abacavir/lamivudine and zidovudine/lamivudine) at a facility, the recommended therapeutic alternative is tenofovir (TDF) 300mg/emtricitabine(FTC) 200mg dual formulation tablet, with dose adjustments for renal impairment.

The National Department of Health will be monitoring the situation closely in consultation with the provinces, and will continue to provide updated communication on this matter.

For more information, please contact:
Mr Popo Maja
Ministry of Health Spokesperson
Mobile: 072 585 3219/082 373 1169
Email: popo.maja@health.gov.za

24/05/2019

Scholarship for Medical Studies in Cuba are out. Forms available at North West Department of Health offices near you.

12/05/2019

HAPPY NURSES DAY TO ALL OUR NURSES!

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.

In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; he did not approve it.

In January 1974, 12 May was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.[2][3] Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit.[4] The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere.

As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses' Day.

25/04/2019

We Deliver Decent Health Facilities For Our People!

North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha will official open new health facilities. The first facility is Boitekong at 13h00 on Friday, 26 April and on Sunday, 28 April its Madikwe at 14h00. Announcements for opening of other new facilities will be made in the coming days.

At 18h00 on Friday, 26 April MEC will host a Sectoral Meeting with Doctors