School health services uncover what’s ailing Tshwane kids
The revitalisation of school health services form just one of three ways primary health care services will be delivered under the National Health Insurance (NHI) alongside district and ward-base teams, according to government’s green paper.
Recent visits by Tshwane mobile school health teams to Hammanskraal and Winterveld outside Pretoria found the most common childhood ailments to be ringworm, allergies and cavities.
Teams found however that childhood nutrition had improved.
Refalotse Primary School in Winterveld recently hosted a mobile primary health care truck and an eye care van. A district mobile oral health van was unavailable after suffering storm damage
Jane Zwane, a member of the school’s governing body, said parents had welcomed the move to bring health care to their children, and governing body members were on hand to provide support to the nurses.
School’s head of foundational education, Lesego Nonyane, said she was also happy health services were progressively moving closer to children.
“We are happy that our kids can receive on-site health care service,” she told OurHealth. “In February our girls were vaccinated (against the) human papilloma virus (HPV).”
According to Nonyane, about 400 pupils received primary health care and eye checks on the day.
Mobile school health teams are expected to also included social work services however provincial health authorities did not respond to OurHealth queries as to when these services would be added.
The country is still awaiting the release of the NHI white paper, which was due to be released following South Africa’s recent elections.
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