KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, led by example on Tuesday, 13 October 2009, when he took to Nichols Junior Primary School in Pietermaritzburg to kick-off the School Health/Nutrition Week, 12 to 16 October 2009, activities.
The primary healthcare initiative is the department's multi-pronged move to assess and identify learners who need medical attention. Armed with his stethoscope, MEC Dhlomo was hard at work at the school in Edendale assessing learners to check if they were in good health.
Over fifty (50) learners were identified for further treatment and were referred to their local clinics. "This shows that we need to intensify the Schools Nurse programme, so that we will be able to make early detection of illnesses that may affect children as they grow," said MEC Dhlomo.
Addressing the learners at the school, he encouraged them to lead a healthy lifestyle and indulge in good nutrition. "I encourage you to start vegetable gardens at home and here at school so that you will have fresh food from your gardens. I cannot over-emphasise the need for you to observe good hygiene. It is our healthy behaviours that will prevent the spread of disease amongst us. That is why we want to teach you hygiene at young age so that you will grow up healthy and strong," said the MEC.
He also warned the learners of the dangers of drugs and substance abuse. MEC Dhlomo cautioned the learners of the drug traffickers who will use the learners to smuggle drugs into school premises. "Avoid things that will harm you. If your parents tell you not to get into strangers’ cars and they tell you to go straight home after school, it is for your own good."
Dhlomo and Head of Department, Dr Sibongile Zungu, had their hands busy assessing the learners in this initiative; which is collaboration with the Department of Education and various stakeholders. By the end of this week, 260 schools would have been reached and more children who need healthcare attention would have been identified.
"If we can identify high-risk diseases and that can be done in every school, it will help us drastically bring down fatalities, which is what we are trying to do," said MEC Dhlomo.
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
14 October 2009
