"Please love us back", pleads KZN Health MEC to those who've stopped taking their medication

02 February 2024

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Ms Nomagugu Simelane has urged those who've stopped taking medication for their chronic ailments to give her Department a "love back", so that they can lead better, healthier, and longer lives.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has for some time been on a quest to bring back scores of people who are lost to follow-up treatment for HIV, Tuberculosis, sexually-transmitted infections, and other ailments.

Addressing a packed tent, in the SASKO area of Vryheid (Ward 8) earlier today, MEC Simelane made an impassioned plea for those patients who've gone AWOL to come back - and she has made it clear that no-one is allowed to admonish them for defaulting.

"Taking your medication as prescribed is extremely important. If you do not do this, you could run into a number of problems, such as:

• Your health situation getting worse, exposing you to the possibility of extreme illness;
• Suffering health complications, including stroke, heart attack, seizures, or mental health breakdowns;
• Your body may become resistant to drugs/medication;
• It can also lead to disease progression, which may require stronger/more aggressive treatment;
• You might need to be hospitalised, due to severe illness, or even die, and miss out on all the festive season fun.

"Therefore, let us all take our medication as prescribed, so as to avoid all of these challenges."

"To those who've defaulted on medication, we are pleading you to love us back as the Department of Health. Please come back to our facilities, and ask for help. No-one is allowed to take you to task about it. Their job is to find out if you have a problem; advise you on what to do to get help, and then put you back on the system.

"Medication is available free of charge from our healthcare facilities, thanks to the ANC-led Government, and in this day and age, no-one should die just because they are not taking their medication."

MEC Simelane also urged the people of KwaZulu-Natal to regularly get tested; and those on chronic medication to take advantage of "Ikhemisi Eduze Nawe," an innovative Government's chronic medication dispensation and distribution programme, which brings medication closer to people's homes.

"Through this programme, we have established external pick-up points (PuPs) like community halls, izinkantolo, ama-libraries, local pharmacies, and designated people's homes.

"These PuPs make it easier, more convenient, and cost-effective for people to collect their medication, especially for ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, and Anti-Retroviral Treatment. To learn more about this programme, we are encouraging individuals to inquire from their local clinics."

The MEC also urged those who are eligible to participate during the upcoming Voter Registration Weekend, on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, citizens aged 16 years and older can register to vote.

All you need is a South African identity document (ID). This can either be a green barcoded ID book, smartcard ID, or a valid temporary ID certificate.

When registering, voters will need to provide their address or a description of where they live, in order to allow the Electoral Commission to place them on the correct segment of the voters' roll.

However, proof of an address is not a requirement to register as a voter.

The online voter registration portal is https://registertovote.elections.org.za

Registered voters can visit the Electoral Commission website, which is www.elections.org.za , to check their current registration details and voting station location.

They can also SMS their ID number to 32810 to receive an SMS containing the address of their voting station (charged at R1).

ENDS

Issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health