Mines, Wards & Occ Health!

(Tuesday) Today has been a pretty mixed day & I've managed to do a bit of everything!! Haha (:


Spent the morning in the mining clinic at Kriel mine with one of the Drs. Tuesday is their chronic day, so there was a lot of patients with problems such as hyperglycaemia & hypertension. The Dr doesn't see too many patients, but spends the time checking the chest X-Rays from the occ health checks. All of the mine employees have to have an occupational health check every year to be approved to do the job they do. They have their eyesight checked, their hearing checked, a chest X-Ray done, urinalysis (to detect drugs too), vital signs checked and see the Dr or nurse. I found the strictness of the whole thing quite interesting, as if they fail their work cards are blocked so they can't get into the mines, making it more necessary for them to make the changes needed in order to pass! The strict rules mean their health is kept in check and keep them fit for work! The X-Rays illustrate any early signs of TB or silicosis, that can be treated so that they aren't spread. The Dr then has to decide if the employee is fit for work or if aspects of their jobs need to be changed. Pregnant women aren't allowed to opperate heavy machines, work below ground or work in high noise so their jobs often need changing once they discover they are pregnant. I got to see what normal CXRs were, and what the signs of TB to look out for where! Old TB also shows up on X-Ray so this needs investigating before the person is signed off.


After we got back to ACHH, I spent a bit of time in the ward with the nurses. Its pretty quiet, as they are trying to steer away from having in-patients in the hospital as obviously its better for everyone if they are out working! The explained the admission process to me (all patients come in via casualty down the corridor before being admitted to the ward) & then I got to help do an ECG! They didn't really understand how I didn't know how to do it....as even their students take bloods and run drips! But it was a good experience to be taught, even though neither of us could read the end result!!!


I then went over to the Occ Health department, to see the process in work! The Dr had said to me its like walking in one door & out the other, although I didn't quite realise to what extent this is true! You literally walk in one door, round all the different rooms having different tests and then go back out the other door :P !! They get realllly busy & can see upto 120 patients a day!! Craaazzzyyy! (: but the process is so interesting, as I can't think of anywhere in the UK that is so thorough at checking their employees health so regularly! They may check as you start work, but certainly don't re-check for any problems yearly! So great to see such an amazing initiative in a less developed country than our own.