21 April 2008 - Health
In today’s show we spoke to the Western Cape Health MEC, Mr. Pierre Uys. The Western Cape Health Department opened an upgraded Specialist Burn Unit at the Tygerberg Hospital last Monday. According to the Minister, treatment of severe burn wounds is a painful process for patients and to be successful - specialised medical knowledge applied in a special, customised ward with modern medical equipment is needed. He says the unit has personnel with exceptional expertise who are able to achieve world class results and he also explained more about his department’s commitment in providing world class medical care. For more information contact the department’s offices on (021) 483 4625.
We were also joined by Dr. Neil Cameron from the University of Stellenbosch, where we dealt with the topic of Malaria. Malaria is not common in this province but if you visit malaria high-risk areas it is important to take precautionary measures to avoid malaria infection. When it comes to symptoms, Fever is the most common one accompanied by headache, sweating, shivering, weakness and body pains. For more information contact your nearest clinic or hospital.
We spoke to Constance Mlobi – social worker from Epilepsy South Africa. We were talking about Epilepsy. Epilepsy is not a disease. It is a symptom of a neurological disorder -- a physical condition -- which causes a malfunction of the electrical signals which control the operation of the brain. It is characterized by sudden, brief seizures whose nature and intensity varies from person to person. The word "Epilepsy" means nothing more than the tendency to have seizures. For more information contact their offices on (021) 447 3014 or the Lansdowne office on (021) 703 9420 or visit www.epilepsysa.co.za.
We closed off the show with an interview with Dr Calissa Panieri-Peter – From Valkenberg hopsital. We were talking about Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a severe, lifelong brain disorder. People who have it may hear voices, see things that aren't there or believe that others are reading or controlling their minds. In men, symptoms usually start in the late teens and early 20s. They include hallucinations, or seeing things, and delusions such as hearing voices. For women, they start in the mid-20s to early 30s. Other symptoms include: Unusual thoughts or perceptions, Disorders of movement, Difficulty speaking and expressing emotion,Problems with attention, memory and organization. According to Schizophrenia.com, there is currently no physical or lab test that can absolutely diagnose schizophrenia - a psychiatrist usually comes to the diagnosis based on clinical symptoms. Dr Peter says this is still the case here in the country. If you would like more information contact (021) 440 3294.
We were also joined by Dr. Neil Cameron from the University of Stellenbosch, where we dealt with the topic of Malaria. Malaria is not common in this province but if you visit malaria high-risk areas it is important to take precautionary measures to avoid malaria infection. When it comes to symptoms, Fever is the most common one accompanied by headache, sweating, shivering, weakness and body pains. For more information contact your nearest clinic or hospital.
We spoke to Constance Mlobi – social worker from Epilepsy South Africa. We were talking about Epilepsy. Epilepsy is not a disease. It is a symptom of a neurological disorder -- a physical condition -- which causes a malfunction of the electrical signals which control the operation of the brain. It is characterized by sudden, brief seizures whose nature and intensity varies from person to person. The word "Epilepsy" means nothing more than the tendency to have seizures. For more information contact their offices on (021) 447 3014 or the Lansdowne office on (021) 703 9420 or visit www.epilepsysa.co.za.
We closed off the show with an interview with Dr Calissa Panieri-Peter – From Valkenberg hopsital. We were talking about Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a severe, lifelong brain disorder. People who have it may hear voices, see things that aren't there or believe that others are reading or controlling their minds. In men, symptoms usually start in the late teens and early 20s. They include hallucinations, or seeing things, and delusions such as hearing voices. For women, they start in the mid-20s to early 30s. Other symptoms include: Unusual thoughts or perceptions, Disorders of movement, Difficulty speaking and expressing emotion,Problems with attention, memory and organization. According to Schizophrenia.com, there is currently no physical or lab test that can absolutely diagnose schizophrenia - a psychiatrist usually comes to the diagnosis based on clinical symptoms. Dr Peter says this is still the case here in the country. If you would like more information contact (021) 440 3294.
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