DESCRIPTION: |
This service aims to prevent eye conditions that could lead to blindness, and to treat people who have problems with their eyesight. Eye tests, which include using eye charts, are available at Primary Health Care Clinic (PHC level, and help to check for refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, distorted vision and "ageing eyes". After the age of 40, the lens of the eye becomes more rigid and it becomes more difficult for some people to read at close range.School nurses and primary health care clinic nurses can refer children for eye examinations at school clinics. If you need spectacles, your name will be placed on a waiting list for between one to 18 months. The PHC nurse will make an appointment for you with an optometrist who visits the clinic on a sessional basis. Free spectacle and other assistive devices have become a reality and will be implemented shortly. Cataracts, a degenerative thickening/opaqueness of the lens, are the leading cause of blindness. They are treatable and can be identified easily at PHC clinics and centres, as well as by home-based carers because they are so noticeable. Operations to remove cataracts are performed at secondary level hospitals. There is a waiting list. Diabetics should have an annual eye test to check for the early formation of cataracts. There can also be a change in the retina, which can lead to blindness. In this case the client would need to be referred to a secondary level hospital, where they will be given laser therapy. Primary prevention includes health education, immunisation against measles in children, maternal and health services, and safety promotion. Prevention of corneal scarring from malnutrition, infection and injury /trauma is important. The lack of Vitamin A is a major cause of blindness in children. Chronic glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in South Africa. Ophthalmic nurses and optometrists examine clients at hospitals (district or secondary level). If surgery is required, the patient will be referred to a tertiary hospital. Other useful contacts:
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INSTRUCTIONS: |
Basic eye examinations are available at all PHC clinics and centres. If necessary, clients will be referred to secondary or tertiary level hospitals for further testing and treatment.First-time visitors to the clinic or secondary/tertiary hospital will be asked to fill out a form and a folder will be opened for the patient. Bring your ID book. A referral letter from the clinic will be required when visiting a hospital. Hospitals will ask for your most recent payslip/income assessment (IRP5). Bring your hospital card if previously registered at the hospital. |
PROVIDED AT: |
These facility categories: |
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GOVERNMENT BODY:
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Department of Health (Provincial Government of the Western Cape) |
PRICE: |
Free at PHC level. If you are referred to a hospital, there is a cost involved. The amount will depend on how much you earn and on how many dependents you have, according to the hospital rating scale. |
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Cape Gateway is a government service aimed primarily at citizens of the Western Cape, providing information on local, provincial and national government |  |