From 11th - 15th March it is screening week at
Project Hope. Every month here a week long screening exercise is conducted by
volunteers in Zandspruit or nearby Cosmo City to detect high blood pressure and
diabetes among the local residents, so those suffering from these chronic
conditions can be referred to the Hope Centre clinic for on-going care. In 2013 a door-to-door
screening programme has been established to maximise uptake of screening
and make the process as easy as possible for the local population to access.
 |
| Essential screening kit |
During the most recent screening programme, I went with
trainee nursing assistant Bonita and team leader Polinah in to Zandspruit to
meet, measure and test the residents we met for signs of diabetes and high
blood pressure, making referrals to the Hope Clinic when necessary.
 |
| Patrick and his oldest two children |
As we were walking through Zandspruit a local resident
called Patrick called out to us, inviting us in to his home to screen himself,
his wife and his neighbours. Patrick had seen the teams out the day before and
was keen to get involved. After pulling chairs up for us, Patrick quickly
rounded up a number of his neighbours and beckoned people off the street to join
in the screening.
Bonita methodically measured blood pressure from each arm in
every resident, followed by a prick test
to discover glucose levels, then
measured people’s height, weight and waist circumference. Polinah in turn
carefully recorded each of the results and completed referral letters for
residents when they showed signs of hypertension or diabetes.
Patrick who had welcomed us in, is a spray painter but currently out of work. He lives here in
his house with his wife, two young children and an 8 week old baby. He tells me
‘the screening is such a good thing. If people don’t know they have a problem,
then it will only get worse until it is difficult to deal with’.
 |
| Blood pressure check |
Whilst Patrick’s results were fine, his wife showed signs of
high blood pressure. She tells us she is ‘stressed because (she) has two young
children and a baby and not much money’. She received a referral to the Hope
Clinic like a number of other residents we met that day.
 |
| Residents gather at Patrick's house |
We checked around 14 people at Patrick’s house. When we ran
out of people to test at his house, Patrick in his enthusiasm joined us as we
made our way through Zandspruit and before we knew it was approaching people on
the street to take part in the screening.
Our target was to screen 30 residents in one day, which we successfully
managed to do. Sometimes however
residents were reluctant to get involved, when I asked Patrick why people were
not interested he said ‘they say they are well, and do not need to be tested.
They don’t really understand about high blood pressure or diabetes. They say
they will go to the doctors if they are ill’.
 |
| Glucose testing |
Patrick was brilliant! He helped Bonita to measure patients,
and helped to put people at ease, while Polinah was busy recording the results.
Many of the residents we spoke to who had high blood pressure complained of
stress because of unemployment and lack of money for basic living. All those
who agreed to take part in the screening were very welcoming and grateful for
the service offered.
 |
| Bonita taking waist measurements |
 |
| Measuring weight |
 |
| Measuring height |
