Another by-product of the Lockdown has been that people are scared of leaving their homes to be found queuing, putting themselves at risk of getting Covid-19.
Health MEC Sasekani Manzini has encouraged the people of Mpumalanga to make sure they go fetch their medication after she found a rising number of people on chronic medications were no longer coming to fetch them.
Spokeswoman Sharon Nkosi said Manzini visited Simile Clinic in the Thaba Chweu local municipality on 22 May 2020 to do monitoring.
Nkosi said Manzini found that of the 1 800 registered patients, 1 142 came to collect their medications but 658 didn’t turn up for their routine check-ups and medications.
Now the department is worried that people might default on treatment.
“The 658 patients did not come up for their routine checkups and collect their medicines,” said Nkosi, adding as a department they believe people are scared of leaving their homes, fearing contracting the SARS-COV2 disease.
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She said when the lockdown was imposed in March 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa the department chose to give chronic medications to patients to last for three months, so that they don’t keep coming to clinics now and again.
But those who required close observations and monitoring were not given the 3 months supply.
“The MEC therefore encourages members of the communities who are on chronic medications to
continue taking their treatments as planned.
(edited by ZK)
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