ConvaCare Clinics to open its first South African clinic to meet growing professional wound care demand
17 September 2021 – ConvaCare Clinics today opened its first wound and stoma clinic as its first expansion into South Africa, meeting the increasing demand for professional wound and stoma care. The well-designed facility will provide patients with a holistic wound and stoma care service at the conveniently located Rivonia Medical Centre in Rivonia Road, Morningside, Sandton.
ConvaCare Clinics is committed to helping people with chronic wounds, and stomas lead the life they want – giving them more mobility, confidence, and freedom. The dedication to this vision and the desire to improve patients’ lives have led to the establishment of ConvaCare Clinics. A team of ConvaCare clinical wound and stoma care experts and support staff are dedicated to evaluating, treating, and meeting patient needs in wound care and stoma care.
The group was established in 2009 in Latin America. ConvaCare Clinics has since expanded from its initial footprint into Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Singapore and now South Africa. ConvaCare Clinics is committed to providing wound and stoma care to South African patients based on international best practice. ConvaCare Clinics aims to further increase its South African footprint by expanding into other major cities.
“Wound healing is a complex process which can be easily interrupted for several reasons with the resultant delay in wound healing. ConvaCare Clinics provide care to patients with complex chronic and acute wounds, as well as ostomies. The clinical staff at ConvaCare Clinics will work closely with the referring HCP and patient to assess the wound and develop a comprehensive treatment plan to facilitate definitive wound closure,” says Bronwyn Green, Clinical Head for ConvaCare Clinics in South Africa.
“The patient-centric and holistic approach by our expert clinical team sets us apart. The clinic staff work as part of a multidisciplinary team to facilitate wound treatment. ConvaCare Clinics has been specifically designed with the patient in mind. The wide passages and doorways accommodate wheelchairs and mobility-impaired patients, to the natural light and use of natural wood and soft furnishings, which contribute to the clinic being a warm and inviting space. There is a definite need for professional and well-trained wound care and stoma specialists in this area. The clinic has been designed to accommodate the increasing need in the region”.
There is a myriad of factors that can contribute to a wound not healing. The classic definition of a chronic wound is a wound that has not healed in 4 weeks and needs to be revisited. “We need to be proactive instead of reactive and begin treatment on a wound deviating from the usual predictable pattern of wound healing. Early intervention can mitigate the extent to which a wound can potentially deteriorate due to infection, poor circulation etc. Diabetic patients are particularly at risk for development of ulcers. This is primarily due to their underlying chronic condition. They have lost sensation and thus lose the protective mechanism that prevents an injury to the foot. Patients with underlying chronic conditions/co-morbidities are also at risk for developing wound complications. It is therefore essential that wound care is proactive to minimise any potential wound complications,” states Green.
“The increasing prevalence of diabetic patients, as well as an increasing elderly population within South Africa, will increase the prevalence of leg, foot and pressure ulcers. This necessitates the need for clinically appropriate and quality wound and stoma care.
“Diabetic wounds are most common on the diabetic patient’s foot because of nerve damage, which results in loss of sensation, foot deformities and the inability of the foot to sweat. Diabetic Foot ulcers are notoriously difficult to manage, and therefore a diabetic patient requires treatment by wound specialists trained to manage and optimise the wound environment to accelerate closure,” says Green.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), diabetes in adults was 5.4% in South Africa in 2017. As the prevalence of diabetes cases increases in the country, there is an increasing demand for specialist wound care management to reduce the risk of non-healing wounds in diabetic patients. In 2018 diabetic wounds application segment accounted for 14.4% of revenue share owing to an astonishing rise in incidences of diabetes and other risk factors such as obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Research has shown that once a diabetic patient has had an amputation of any kind, their risk of mortality increases.1
A surgeon creates a stoma for a variety of reasons. A stoma can be temporary or permanent — stoma results from an operation where a portion of damaged or diseased bowel is removed. The stoma is then created by one end of the intestine that is brought to an opening that is made in the abdomen. The stoma is an artificial opening that allows for faeces or urine to pass. A stoma will usually look small, wet, and red-pinkish and will stick out from the abdomen a little. There are three types of stoma surgeries 1. Colostomy, 2. Ileostomy and 3. Urostomy.
Stoma care services are a vital part of the pre-operative as well as the postoperative period. This is to prepare the patient both emotionally and physically for what to expect post-surgery. Stoma bags are used to contain the waste matter from the stoma.
“Up to 80% of ostomates experience ostomy complications (ConvaCare Clinics Services Offering).2 Our experienced ConvaCare Clinics stoma care experts provide professional stoma care advice pre- and post-operatively to allow patients to regain their confidence and mobility,” Green explains. “ConvaCare Clinics help patients living with an ostomy manage and prevent any potential complication that may arise because of their stoma.”
“ConvaCare Clinics offers A dedicated team of highly professional and experienced wound care experts. We strive to develop strong partnerships across all health care disciplines allowing us to provide excellent patient-centric care. Our international experience, excellent service track record and solution-based treatment algorithms based on international best practices allow the ConvaCare Clinics to deliver quality wound care with predictable outcomes. ConvaCare Clinics follows a holistic approach as part of a patient-centric care continuum. We only use clinically proven technology and will apply a protocol of continuous improvement through training, research and further education,” explains Green.
ConvaCare Clinics charges medical aid rates, and where clinically appropriate, will liaise with your medical funder relating to wound care reimbursement. The clinic will submit invoices directly to medical schemes. Private patients who are not part of a medical scheme will be charged medical aid rates and will need to settle their accounts after each treatment.
The new ConvaCare Clinics facility offers a welcoming reception area, waiting area, five comfortable consultation rooms with all the necessary equipment to effectively manage your wound, as well as free Wi-Fi and tea and coffee facilities for patients and families. Each consultation room has a separate consultation and treatment area, which is separated by a bamboo screen to offer as much patient privacy as required. Well-equipped back-of-house facilities with superior technology and infrastructure ensure that the highest patient-centric care standards will always be maintained.
About ConvaCare Clinics
ConvaCare Clinics is committed to helping people with chronic health conditions lead the life they want – giving them more mobility, confidence, and freedom. The dedication to this vision and the desire to improve the lives of the patients has led to the establishment of ConvaCare Clinics. A team of clinical experts and support staff is dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of patients, providing more than 106 000 treatments annually.
ConvaCare Clinics was established in 2009 in Latin America and provides specialised services in wound and stoma care. ConvaCare Clinics have since expanded from its initial footprint in Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile to providing its wound and stoma care services in Singapore, India and now in South Africa as from September 2021.
References
2 https://www.convacareclinics.com/sg/services/stoma-care/ and/or Peristomal Skin Complications (facebook.com