Mayor Dan Plato has assured residents that the City of Cape Town will continue to deliver essential services to residents during the three-week lockdown.
“However, we have had to institute mitigation measures to ensure that we operate within the framework of the lockdown, as set out by the president in his address to the nation last week, and that we abide by the hygiene and social distancing protocols that have been advanced since the virus was first detected in South Africa,” Mr Plato said.
Clinics across the City will still operate for the collection of medication and for primary health-care services. When visiting a clinic, all patients are required to maintain social distancing and ensure that they make use of the provided hand sanitiser.
The City of Cape Town, in conjunction with the Metro District Health Service, is looking at various ways in which to reduce the number of people visiting health facilities.
A number of initiatives have already been undertaken, while others are in the pipeline.
These include:
Increasing chronic medication packs to last for two months – and three months in some instances;
Establishing quick pick-up points for medication outside the clinic;
Nurses giving medication for minor ailments from the consulting rooms to lighten the load on pharmacies;
Where possible, home deliveries of medication by Community Health Workers of NGO partners;
Spacing or postponing non-essential follow-up appointments;
BLOB Installation of tents where clients will be triaged, before they enter the facility; and
Educating the community on the importance of social distance.
“We urge the communities to understand the inevitable delays resulting from the implementation of these new measures. Ultimately, we require the public’s assistance during the lockdown period and we urge residents to please only visit their clinic if they are in urgent need of medical care,” Mr Plato said.