|
|
|
|
 |
Health Overview
Objectives
The Health functional area seeks to provide a single, coordinated health
system that is well managed, effective, and accessible to every resident
in Alexandra.
Developing a coordinated health service for Alexandra
Building the capacity of primary health workers
-
Audit of clinic worker skills to determine skill needs
and the particular strengths and focus areas of existing clinics.
-
Establishing a holistic programme of staff skills
development and morale enhancement including management and professionalism
training.
-
Exposure of staff to the health needs and services
of all providers to assist in the coordination of activities
- A communication and awareness strategy incorporating consumer education
and communication with patients, the development of effective education
programmes and campaigns around patient rights.
Strengthening primary health care facilities in Alexandra
-
Streamlining and coordination of clinic services with
a focus on facilities, resources and staffing requirements.
-
Upgrading of East Bank clinic to offer a higher scale
of services.
- Investigation into the need for additional clinic services in the
Far East Bank/ Riverpark area.
Enhancement of emergency medical services
Reducing the rate of increased spread and decrease the impact of HIV/AIDS
-
Establishing a fulltime AIDS coordinator for the Greater
Alexandra area.
-
Developing an HIV/AIDS education programme to change
sexual behaviour and aimed at youth, people at risk (such as hostel
residents) and in the workplace.
-
Focus on the optimal management of STDs, on widespread
condom supply and on the promotion of voluntary testing, with allied
counselling. The project includes an audit of current STD management.
-
A support service for people living with HIV/AIDS
-
Capacity building programme for both professional
medical staff and community based caregivers.
-
Enhancing existing services to meet the medical needs
of HIV/AIDS patients and for patients with TB and other illnesses related
to HIV.
-
Establishment of an AIDS hospice within Alexandra.
- Health support focusing on the physical and mental health needs
of AIDS orphans and families of AIDS victims.
Combating communicable disease in Alexandra
-
Establishing an infectious diseases unit in Alexandra
to treat patient with TB, STDs (link to AIDS), Bilharzia, Malaria and
other parasitic infections.
- Improving the immunisation programme: to increase the number of
children being immunised from 79% to 90%.
Upgrading the quality of care in particular focus areas
-
Improving medical services for children through dedicated,
frequent general health screening, eye testing, hearing testing and
oral health assessment.
-
Enhancing medical services for the aged including
services for hypertension, osteo-arthritis, diabetes, ulcers, and stress.
-
Developing an integrated policy for the care of the
disabled in Alexandra that clarifies the responsibilities of both provincial
and local government.
- Establishing feeding schemes and home-visit programmes, amongst
others, for the disabled.
Developing appropriate Mental Health Programmes
-
Outreach programmes to provide educational, emotional
and social support to parents of young children.
-
Training and skills development of lay counselors
to expand minimal support resources and services available to Alexandra
residents.
-
Psychiatric admissions ward at Edenvale Hospital.
-
Antenatal parent and child programme with special
attention to the needs of single and teenage parents will be developed.
-
Child and Youth Mental Health services addressing
adolescent heath issues, teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and substance
abuse.
-
Peer-counselling programme attached to a support service
offering professional counselling at secondary school level.
-
Resourcing and extending the Alex/Tara programme of
training community care workers in Alexandra.
-
Developing an integrated approach to children's emotional
and social problems needs between health, welfare, justice and education
agencies.
- Programme for the raising of residents' awareness of mental health
problems and the care of mental health disorders.
Intersectoral health/welfare and education programmes
-
Developing a school based health service including
mental health professionals linked with schools in Alexandra.
-
Programme of screening the intellectual, physical
and emotional status of pre-school children.
-
A mentoring service for teachers to identify, refer
and intervene in mental health and learning needs of children.
-
Development of a dedicated Alexandra programme addressing
social problems including alcohol abuse, rape, violence, abuse, abandonment
of children and trauma.
- Training of community members as caregivers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
