Important Notice: Medahead Practice service amendments during COVID-19 lockdown

President Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster and has announced a 21-day lockdown period in an attempt to lessen the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on our communities. This has forced us to amend our practice operations. We care for many vulnerable individuals with old age, underlying chronic diseases like diabetes, respiratory compromise, immune suppression, and people with a history of cancer.

We are confident that we can protect our patients while providing medical care during COVID-19. The use of virtual consultations, including telephonic, virtual (web-based), and text consultations are advocated internationally. We are happy to offer these consultations to our patients during this period in an attempt to reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus.

We care about your family's health and safety in this difficult time. Please take precautions to stay safe and informed.

Please stay in you car when you arrive at the Medahead practice. We request that you phone our reception on 012 816 8210 before leaving your vehicle since it allows us to control the movement of people in our practice, prevent crowding, and to instruct you on the best entrance to use at that specific time.

Check for updates on the Department of Health Coronavirus website. You may also join the Department of Health WhatsApp Support Line by adding 0600 123456 to your contacts and sending them a message saying "HI".



If you suspect you may have contracted COVID-19

Our practice cannot provide safe in-person screening for potential COVID-19 patients due to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the lack of isolation areas. If you suspect that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you may book a telephonic/virtual consultation with one of our doctors by phoning 012 816 8210 to receive expert help. Should we receive the necessary equipment we will notify you immediately.

Walk-in patients are urged to take special care to safeguard the practice and prevent the spread of the disease. Each walk-in patient will be evaluated individually and may be consulted in the rooms or referred to the nearest COVID-19 equipped Accident & Emergency unit.



Other medical care during the lockdown

Please enquire about the possibility of a repeat prescriptions during the Covid-19 crisis period. We will issue repeat prescriptions for you if it is deemed safe and to your benefit.

Please try to consult with us through one of the virtual platforms and limit in-person visits to the minimum. We offer three different methods of virtual consultations:

  • Telephonic consultations - booked through our reception 012 816 8210

    Should you book a telephonic consultation one of the Medahead doctors will phone you at a scheduled time and will perform a 15-minute verbal consultation. We will discuss your main concerns, take a medical history, and attempt to obtain a clinical impression of your condition. If appropriate you will be issued with a treatment plan and recommendations, an electronic prescription and a sick note where deemed necessary.

  • Virtual (face-to-face) consultations – booked through our reception 012 816 8210, or directly on the Discovery Health web/app for Discovery members.

    When booking a face-to-face virtual consultation one of the Medahead doctors will contact you at a scheduled time for a 15-minute virtual consultation. The Discovery web/app allows for this service on its platform for Discovery Health members, members of any of the Discovery administered schemes, and all Vodacom contract holders. Other medical aid members have the option to connect with us through Zoom or Skype.

    One of the Medahead doctors will be readily available for virtual consultations on the Discovery web/app and other platforms. You may perhaps not be able to consult with your usual or preferred doctor every day – please enquire at reception about the Medahead doctor availability. However, all of the Medahead doctors will have access to your clinical records and will consult with your usual doctor if needed.

  • Text (email) consultations – no booking required.

    Should you agree to a text consultation you are required to send an email requesting it from one of the doctors at the Medahead practice. Discovery Health members can access this service on the Discovery web/app directly, whereafter the Medahead doctor will receive it on the DrConnect inbox platform. On receipt of your request the Medahead doctor will accept the request whenever possible, but always within 48 hours. You can then text your main complaint, and enter into a text discussion with the Medahead doctor. Please take note that such a consultation requires time boundaries so as to accommodate other individuals in need of medical assistance. We aim to allow 15 minutes for each text consultation.

All three methods of virtual consultations will be invoiced at the medical aid tariffs, and should be reimbursed if your individual benefits are adequate. As a reference, the Discovery tariffs for these virtual consultations are as follows: Telephonic (R280), Virtual web/app (R310), Text (R280).



Discovery members

Please take note that Dr Danelle Serfontein is available every weekday during the COVID-19 lockdown for virtual consultations through the Discovery web/app.

Dr Serfontein is also a member of the Discovery COVID-19 Care Team.

Other Medahead doctors will be available for virtual consultations for selected periods – please check with reception if unclear.

It is our aim at the Medahead practice to prioritize four pillars of care during this crisis:

  • We want to provide good care to COVID-19 patients.
  • We can continue to provide good care to our other patients.
  • It is imperative that Health Care Workers and support staff are well protected.
  • We can play a vital role in preventing overcrowding of the hospitals and A&E units in Gauteng.

The Covid-19 lockdown and disaster period is extremely flexible and will be evolving as time goes by. You are urged to check this website and our facebook page for weekly updates. Rest assured that we will discuss and implement changes to keep our patients as safe and healthy as possible under the current circumstances.

Consulting hours:

Mon - Fri: 8h00 - 17h00

Saturdays: 8h00 - 13h00

Telephone number:

012 816 8210

Email address:

reception@medahead.co.za

Physical address:

21 Wattle Crescent
Die Wilgers
Pretoria
South Africa.