Healthcare needs of World Cup fans pose a challenge – Carepoint Pharmacy Network
19. Nov, 2009
1 Comment
The chronic and acute healthcare needs of the 450 000 fans expected during next year’s World Cup pose a challenge to the South African healthcare profession. A coordinated effort to ensure they know where to get help is essential.
This is according to Roger Moult, CEO of Carepoint Pharmacy Network, the newly formed commercial arm of United South African Pharmacies (USAP) which will represent approximately 1000 independent community pharmacies across South Africa.
“We have approached the local organising committee of FIFA, to offer healthcare support to the thousands of chronic patients who will be in South Africa during that period and might be in need of medication, care and advice. Fans with illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic skin conditions might need script repeats and advice or, if necessary, referrals to a hospital or doctor,” says Moult.
He adds that fans could also suffer from a range of acute ailments and injuries for which our pharmacists and their in-store clinics can offer immediate care. These include communicable diseases like flu (particularly the H1N1 flu virus), sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
“We see the need for coordinated support amongst the medical, pharmaceutical tourism, hospital and travel industries.
The Carepoint pharmacy networks have pharmacies in urban, peri-urban and rural areas nationally, including all nine host cities and some of the more remote locations where tourists will be travelling.
“In some of these towns, ours are the only pharmacies for miles around,” says Moult.
This initiative is in line with comments made by the Deputy Minister of Health, Molefi Sefularo, who reiterated the need for the health industry to work with his department as it is important for communication, security, disease response and intervention to be integrated.
Sefularo said that FIFA has asked for collaboration between the public and private sector in responding to the needs of the international visitors.
Moult says Carepoint supports the Minister in this. “We think our network can offer invaluable support and experience in dispensing chronic medication to visitors, as well as managing the spread of any communicable diseases”.
“The goal is to ensure that visitors to the Fifa 2010 World Cup feel secure in the knowledge that healthcare services are adequately provided for and that South Africa has provided world-class health and medical service during 2010.”
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My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
Im amased at how uninformed some industries are when it come to the tourism industry. Once again it shows in this article. The “warning” they trying to put out to the international world is actually gonna backfire on the pharmacutical industry. Now that they have made a problem and issue of the possible lack of planning within the pharmacutical industry, “FANS” will stock up double time on medication prior to coming to SA. Where, if they didnt get their repeat script before leaving home they might have done it here, but after sending this message into the electronic world I think you have done far more damage than good to your members.
South Africa is not the first destination the “Fans with illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic skin conditions” are travelling to. Most international travellers actually plan ahead and especially the North Americans and Europeans travel with a medical aid kit that I think some of our rural clinics would die for.
I hope sooner or later role players in supporting industries, who should work towards making the World Cup a success, catch a wake up and start sending positive e-waves into e-cyber and not try and derail the Soccer World Cup.