Health Star Pacific medical centre at 132 West Tamaki Road, boarder of Glen Innes and Eastbay and its clinic at 136 Queens Road, Panmure are on the alert for acute rheumatic fever.
General Practitioners and practice nurses in Panmure and Glen Innes have been contacted by the Auckland Regional Public Health Services (ARPHS) to be vigilant for group A streptococcal pharyngitis and acute rheumatic fever in children living or attending school in these areas.
In the last few months, there has been a cluster of two rheumatic fever cases in children attending Tamaki Primary School. The children affected are either enrolled in a GP, attend school or live in the Panmure and Glen Innes area.
Parents of children attending Tamaki Primary School have been advised to take children with sore throats or sore joints to their family doctor. If assessing a child from any school in the Panmure / Glen Innes area, please take a throat swap and have a low threshold for empirical antibiotis.
In a letter dated 12th March from Dr. Catherine Jackson, Public Health Medicine Specialist (ARPHS), she said, “Rates are increasing for children living in the Auckland region.”
It affirmed the actions by the Health Star Pacific ‘Mana Kidz’ to be out there at the recent Polyfest to raise awareness, especially with Maori and Pacific children bearing the burden of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
Health Star Pacific is part of the health teams which includes East Tamaki Healthcare, Kidz First, Otara Union Health and Te Hononga O Tamaki Me Hoturoa delivering the Mana Kids programme in Otara.
There are now fifteen clinics open in Otara primary and intermediate schools (and one in Manurewa) providing these key services to 5450 children aged 5-14 years old. All of the clinics have a registered nurse and community support worker providing the same comprehensive service five days per week. Rheumatic Fever Prevention is a key part of the work of the health teams.
Mana Kidz provides a comprehensive health care service in a number of schools in the South Auckland region including rheumatic fever prevention services, assessment and treatment of skin infections and health assessments.
Health Star Pacific (HSPT) at the moment is recruiting a team of trained Community Health Workers to work alongside registered nurses as school based health teams for the Mana Kidz programme in identified schools in Manurewa, South Auckland.
Featured image by healthpacific
