Other member services that are useful during lockdown

On midnight on Thursday 26 March 2020, South Africa was placed under a national lockdown. This was part of the measures put in place by government to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country and limit fatalities.

Fedhealth offers the following services to members that can prove to be especially valuable to members during this time:

1. Emotional Wellbeing Programme service expanded 

To assist our members with COVID-19 related concerns and provide support for psychosocial

emergencies including trauma, the Emotional Wellbeing Programme has introduced a dedicated

Crisis Support Desk. Contact them on 0860 111 646.

2. Using the Fedhealth Nurse Line 

The lockdown is intended to make as many people stay at home as possible in order to curb the

spread of COVID-19. That’s why the Fedhealth Nurse Line is especially valuable at this time, as it

allows Fedhealth members to get medical advice from registered nurses without leaving the safety of their homes. Call 0860 333 432 to access this service, and press 3.

Speak to a personal health advisor/nurse:

• To help you assess day-to-day medical symptoms;
• For important health knowledge, e.g. to explain medical terms and give dietary advice;
• For a complete drug database – i.e. to understand everything about a specific medication including the side-effects and dietary requirements;
• For advice on poisoning and whether or not to send an ambulance if the patient is critical;
• Health counselling on diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and asthma and support for caregivers, as well advice on dealing with addiction;
• To give you advice on stress management;
• To access the Teen Line – advice for teenagers on a wide range of topics, and support for children who are neglected and/or abused.

3. MediTaxi is still operational during the lockdown 

MediTaxi is a medical taxi service available to qualifying members in Cape Town, Johannesburg,

Pretoria and Durban. Fedhealth members who’ve had hospital authorisations can access the 24/7

MediTaxi benefit to take you to follow-up doctor’s appointments during the national lockdown, if you’ve undergone an authorised operation or medical treatment that prevents you from driving.

MediTaxi provides transport from the member’s home to the approved healthcare service provider

such as physiotherapists, doctors, specialists or a radiology practice, and includes the return trip.

Booking the MediTaxi service

When members phone to book a trip, you need to provide your a) membership number, b) date of

operation, and c) healthcare provider’s details.

To access the MediTaxi benefit

• Members need to save the number *130*3272*31# for Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Nurse Line and MediTaxi as a contact on their phones (under Europ Assistance or a name you’ll remember for emergencies).
• When you need to book MediTaxi, members need to choose this number and select the service (EMS, Nurse Line or MediTaxi). An SMS will be sent to the Europ Assistance Emergency Contact Centre who’ll phone you back within the agreed emergency timelines for each service: EMS – 120 seconds; Nurse Line – 2 hours; and MediTaxi – 2 hours before pick-up.

4. You can still benefit from Paed-IQ 

Paed IQ is a 24/7 telephone advisory service available to all parents with children under the age of 14 years to support and advise on any healthcare related childcare issues. This service is also very useful during the lockdown period, since parents can contact Paed-IQ and avoid going out and risking exposing themselves and their children to an infected person in the doctor's waiting room, or the emergency rooms. Call 0860 444 128 to access this great service.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Covid-19 online resource and news portal: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD): https://www.NICD.ac.za/

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.