Description
*Introduction*:
“Early Detection Prolongs Lives” programs and campaigns in South Africa provide breast, cervical, prostate cancer screening, and educational talks, including Testicular information. Through experience, we have learnt that it is key to collaborate with other health partners for services such as HIV/AIDS screening and counselling, Tuberculosis/Lung screening, Skin lesion screening, non-communicable diseases (NCD) screening, men’s health, and young male testicular consultations. This collaboration is due to the extreme increase of gender cancers and high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and non-communicable diseases in the country. HIV/AIDS-related cancers are rising with other diseases, and this has a negative impact on the patient’s health status, treatment, care, and overall quality of life. However, the impact of the disease extends beyond the individual and has major constraints on the communities and society at large impacting on the country’s health care systems. PinkDrive NPC mobile units travel around the nine provinces in South Africa with all partners delivering successful campaigns in rural areas and to uninsured patients and communities where services are not readily available.
Objective:
1. Introduce health partners and other sectors (social, education, women-youth-disabled persons, Home Affairs, all spheres of government, civil society, private organisations) to ensure that the patient receives holistic care under one centre and post screening runs effectively where both patient and medical professionals hold updated records.
2. Incorporate advanced state of the art mammography technology and latest screening technology and systems from partners that provide greater outcomes.
Methods:
1. Initiated project management processes.
2. Our focus on cost effectiveness, good timelines, and scope for greater outcomes.
3. We collaborated closely with respective Community-Based Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) on corporate funded outreaches scheduled in identified areas within Provinces of SA for screening purposes, communication, and consultations.
4. Primarily targeted remote areas with reduced access to specialized healthcare services.
5. Captured patient histories, identification, and treatment (pre- and post-screening) for operational efficiency and consultative processes.
6. Screened BMI patients immediately referred to dieticians if related to obesity, malnutrition, and lifestyle problems.
7. Screening samples sent to Lancet laboratories.
8. All results recorded in the patients file ensuring continuity of care and records.
Results:
1. In a collaborative structure, we have found that the Patient is privy to understanding the level, importance and stage of Cancer or other related illnesses.
2. Results are more controlled and the patient’s health history always kept updated on the health systems, medically retrieved for any future health history requests.
3. Holistic healthcare services and medical treatments monitored, measured, and managed.
4. A high demand for gender cancers, tuberculosis and NCD screening.
Conclusion
1. Collaborative initiatives are good success stories incorporating best practices and benefitting the patients and Health Department.
2. In 2023, PinkDrive NPC, first to receive new mammography screening technology, a great advancement.
3. PinkDrive NPC are continuously strengthening Partnerships and forming new partnerships to ensure that patients benefit extensively and the experience is a value added benefit.
4. Patients must understand their health rights and health status when attending outreach days.
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