Cape Town - Waiting in queues at the Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre has been drastically reduced.
This after the implementation of an innovative system, Back-to-Back (B2B) that has helped improve the flow for patients collecting chronic medication, cutting waiting times by almost two hours.
The Chronic Disease Management (CDM) programme works hand-in-hand with B2B to avoid unnecessary delays that kept patients at the facility longer. The bulk of patients serviced at the centre are chronic patients, with more than 10 000 residents from surrounding areas in Mitchells Plain going there weekly.
The B2B system requires chronic patients to return for a check-up and a new script on the date corresponding to their last available repeat while the CDM programme helps package medication for the pre-planned visits.
Eastridge grandmother Caroline Rhoode, 60, said not having to queue for hours was an advantage, especially on cold days. The centre’s waiting room was almost bare. Previously, lines stretched beyond the entrance.
Rhoode, who looks after her five grandchildren and is the primary caregiver to a son suffering from schizophrenia, said she hated leaving her grandchildren at home with their 25-year-old uncle.
Rhoode spoke to the Cape Argus as she collected her son’s medication. “It’s better because otherwise we have to sit here a whole day. Sometimes I have to find babysitters for the kids or leave them at home. I can now leave early to look after my grandchildren.The only thing they can improve on is their trauma unit. When my son goes into a fit, I have to wait with him here for hours until someone comes to help,” said Rhoode.
The centre’s Dr Neal David said the CDM highway required management to restructure the way the centre operated. “We made available additional storage areas and constructed shelving to accommodate more than 2 000 folders. We established a numerical filing system.
“There has been an improvement for main pharmacy total waiting time from 185 minutes to 76 minutes. Patients who receive their packaged medication at the chronic unit because of the B2B system wait about 5-10 minutes.”
Cape Argus