during Public Service week
23 October 2007
The Eastern Cape Health Department in its outreach commitment sent doctors,
nurses, audiologists and dentists to Matatiele's Taylor Bequest Hospital to
examine learners from the Sive School for the Deaf at Cedarville. This was done
during the Public Service Week, bringing public service by government closer to
communities.
The Health Department conducted Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and
Opthalmological assessments.
The learners were found to have sensory neural hearing loss and about 30 of
the +75 learners seen required audiometric screening. Other learners had
refractive errors and needed optometry services. One student had cataract,
another had alternate convergent squint and the other had retinis
pigmentosa.
The latter three learners were referred to Mthatha for definite diagnosis
and treatment. Learners with refractive errors would benefit from refraction
and get spectacles to improve their vision, said Tuswa, the ophthalmology
registrar.
The team from the Eastern Cape Department of Health was commented by the MEC
as she was excited by the team's enthusiasm to engage in other outreach
programmes by the Health Department in future.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
23 October 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
