Avoiding the doctor?

It has been a tough month - not only did we have the highest number of Covid infections in South Africa so far, but also suffered from additional stress and uncertainty with the unrest in our country.

It is understandable if you didn't feel like leaving the house, not to mention going to doctors' rooms or hospitals. Many of us avoided preventative care measures that we used to schedule in managing our health pre-pandemic: going for an eye check, a dental check, having a mammogram done or seeing the dermatologist. While we all know that it is not advisable to stop preventative care, it becomes really concerning if we know that we should go to see a doctor to attend to a lingering health issue. We can't just sit and wait instead of finding the cause of ongoing pain, or to even delay procedures we know we should have had already. If this sounds familiar - book that appointment today. By the time this MediBrief is reaching you, the third wave might not yet be over completely, but at least call your doctor to book and secure an appointment in the near future. If life goes back to what is considered during this time to be 'normal', the whole country will rush back to their doctors and it might get busy. If you are still worried about contracting Covid-19 at your dentist, GP or during a procedure - address it with your doctor and let them explain to you how they mitigate the risk and which prevention measures they have in place to keep you safe.

Published: July 2021.