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The Du Noon Community Health Centre (CHC) which has been providing a healthcare service since December 2014 and is situated in Potsdam Road, Killarney Gardens, is officially offering a 24 hour emergency service as of Monday 6 February 2017 to an estimated population of ninety thousand from the community of Du Noon and the surrounding areas of Joe Slovo, Sanddrift, Marconi Beam, Parklands, Table View, Albow Gardens and Milnerton.
Since December 2014 the Emergency Centre started off by treating more than 70 patients per month and by December 2016 increased to a headcount of 797 patients per month.
The types of cases seen at the EC are injuries related to vehicle accidents, assaults, burns, gunshots, and medical chronic disease cases such as diabetes, hypertension and epilepsy. Paediatric cases seen at the EC are relating to pneumonia, dehydration and minor ailments.
Du Noon CHC previously offered an 8 hour emergency service with extended hours until 8pm weekdays and over weekends until 5pm, but with the growing demand for emergency healthcare within the area, the facility will be changing its operational hours to 24 hours in the EC only.
The facility does not offer Maternity and Obstetric Services for mothers to deliver babies at their facility. Mothers will still deliver their babies at Vanguard CHC and New Somerset Hospital.
The day services which operates from 07:30am to 4pm, offers a comprehensive package of care which consists of chronic disease treatment and care; child health; emergency services; infectious diseases treatment and care; obstetrics and gynaecology; oral health; pharmacy; rehabilitation services which includes occupational therapy; physiotherapy and speech therapy; digital radiography and women’s health.
The staff compliment for the Emergency Centre for day and night shifts consists of two doctors; two professional nurses; two enrolled nurses and 1 administrator per night shift.
The decision to offer a 24 hour Emergency Centre service was based on the fact that clients within the drainage area would no longer have to commute directly to the New Somerset District Hospital for emergency care, and to alleviate congestion at the hospital.
Steps to follow when accessing the Emergency Centre:
Patients accessing the facility are triaged according the South African Triage Scale (SATS).
The Triage system is the method used for unbooked (walk –ins) to determine the seriousness of a patient’s illness. All patients are assessed according to the SA triage scale upon arrival. Different emergencies have different urgencies. Clients are seen according to colour codes, which indicate the seriousness of the illness.