Accessing Health Services

Providing Health and Wellness FOR YOU

Our core function and responsibility at the Department of Health and Wellness is to provide quality, person-centered health services to the people we serve. We also help our communities take better care of their own wellness, while being mindful of the up-stream determinants of health that can impact negatively on health outcomes.

The aim of the provincial health system is to provide residents with the maximum chance to experience a longer, healthier life by providing the right care at the right time, at the appropriate cost to the health system.

The importance of Wellness

Healthcare 2030 (“the Road to Wellness”) is the blueprint of the provincial health system transformation. It outlines the importance of preventing illness through a healthy lifestyle, early detection and healthy living. It also outlines how Wellness is more than the absence of disease, but rather a multi-faceted and holistic approach. This blueprint also promotes collaboration with other sectors and a whole-of-society-approach (WOSA) as well as involvement of individuals and communities in health outcomes.

Public health and primary healthcare (PHC):

Primary health care (PHC) is a WOSA and is widely regarded as the most inclusive, equitable and cost-effective way to achieve universal health coverage.

PHC is an integration of health services into the process of community development, a process that requires political commitment, intersectoral collaboration, and multidisciplinary involvement for success.
 

Access to Health and Wellness services

We have committed ourselves to the community orientated primary care (COPC) approach.

The aim of COPC is to prevent disease and illness by taking primary care closer to the communities we serve. This approach helps to reduce the burden on our health care system while also improving the quality of life of our communities, by focusing on the specific needs of a community and thereby achieving a greater level of prevention.

In some cases, mobiles, makeshift clinics, and community centres can be used to make it easier for communities to access services.

What are the basic services covered by PHC?

• Mother and Child Health
• Chronic Diseases Care
• Women’s Health
• HIV and TB Care
• Men’s Health
• Acute Services
• Allied Health Care - Physiotherapy
• Mental Health Services
• Appointments can be made for planned visits.
• Dental care and eye care

Where should I go for PHC Services?  

What should I say/do/expect when I attend a PHC facility?

• Documentation – If you have supporting documentation (clinic card, referral, ID) take these with you.
• Contact details – You’ll be asked for contact details so that we can keep in touch with you.
• Folders – A personal medical folder will be created for you.
• Follow up tests/appointments/medication – You may need to return for check-ups and additional medication. 

What if I need services not offered at the PHC (clinic) level?

Some services are not offered at all PHC facilities such as radiology, physiotherapy, oral health. In these cases you’ll be referred to a facility which does provide the care you need.

What should I do in the case of an emergency? 

Always make sure that it’s a real medical emergency before you call as tying up emergency lines could lead to the prolonged suffering or death of someone else.

When calling an emergency number, make sure that you have the following information ready:

• Specific details about the location (address) of the incident or potential patient. Provide landmarks.
• Specific details of the incident. Speak clearly and calmly to the person taking your call.
• Specific details about the contact person (name and telephone number). Make sure that the telephone line is available until emergency services arrive at the scene.

Who should I call in an emergency?

• For emergency medical care, phone the National Medical Emergency Number 10177, and an ambulance will be sent out from one of several Emergency Care Centres in the Western Cape.
• If you’re dialling from a cell phone, you can dial 112. (MTN, CellC and Telkom)
• City of Cape Town General Emergency: 107
• Police: 10111

In cases where patients are able to travel to an emergency centre, there are a number of 24 hour emergency care facilities in the province.

Higher levels of care:

Depending on the local context, patients could be referred for further care to one of the following facilities. It is important that all patients visit a PHC facility first.

• District hospitals
• Regional hospitals
• Central hospitals
• Specialised hospital
• Intermediate care facilities