Skip to main content What is a Travel Clinic?
- A Travel Clinic provides up to date, accurate information of the health and safety aspects of specific destinations, to travelers.
- By applying specific interventions, it ensures that the traveler remains healthy during his travels and returns home healthy.
Type of Travel Clinic
- Dedicated travel clinic
- Part of GP practice
- Pharmacy provided there is medical supervision by a travel medicine qualified doctor
- Integrated immunisation service
- Occupational health clinic i.e corporate health
Type of Service
- Pre travel screening and advisory service only
- Pre, intra- and post travel screening, treatment & advisory service
Staffing structure
- Depending on the nature of the clinic & service provided:
- Doctor only
- Sister run under travel medicine doctor supervision
- Pharmacist run under travel medicine doctor supervision
- Dedicated receptionist
- Bookeeper
- Cleaner
Premises
- Is there a need in the area?
- Yellow fever licenses are granted in areas of need only
- one or two consulting rooms depending on usage & need of the area
- Reception area may be shared by other health care professionals
- Kitchen area is important & vaccine fridge may not be used for milk
- Visible to the public, passing trade & for referrals & appointments
- Easily accessible e.g. parking available
Yellow Fever License Requirements
- A licence can only be obtained from the Department Of Health (DoH) & is issued in accordance with the International Health Regulations Act No 28 of 1974
- Enroll for the Travel Medicine Course or any other recognised Travel Medicine qualification
- Enroll for a dispensing course to dispense malaria medication and treatment
- Apply for Section 38A for nursing staff through the DoH.
Equipment - general
- Telephone with extensions
- Credit card machine
- Desks and chairs
- Filing cabinet
- Examination couch
- Computer (INTERNET ACCESS IS ESSENTIAL)
- Fridge with freezer
- Fridge thermometer
Emergency Equipment
- Portable oxygen
- Ambu bag and airways
- Emergency drugs
- - Adrenaline 1:1000 ampoules - Solu-cortef vials - Phenegan ampoules
- I.V .equipment
- Accessible emergency numbers
Health , Safety and Environment
- Work area well ventilated, clean and neat
- Medical waste disposed of according to protocols & standards
- Protocols for staff developed i.e needle stick injury
- Legal requirements fulfilled in terms of Occupational Health & Safety Act.
Supplies
- Vaccines
- Medicines
- Pill containers (if dispensing)
- Syringes &needles
- Swabs
- Sharps containers
- Travel kits
- Repellents containing DEET
- Nets etc.
- Stationery
- Vaccination cards
- Patient medical & travel forms
- Patient information leaflets & teaching aids.
Suppliers
- Reputable and reliable
- Correct transportation and storage - cold chain
- Prompt delivery
- Credit facilities
- Continuation of supply
- Notification of shortages
Storage of Medicines/Vaccines
- Medicines in cool, dry place under lock
- Pill counter
- Printed containers/pill packets
- All package inserts available
- Vaccines refrigerated (2-8 degrees)
- Temperature measured and recorded daily
- Stored in centre of fridge (not doors)
- Rotate stock regularly placing short dated stock in front
- Record batch number and expiry dates
Training
- Counselling techniques
- Emergency procedures
- Telephone answering techniques & triage
- Basic IT including Word & Excel
- Regular medical & travel medicine updates
Counselling
- Patient to complete comprehensive form including destination, length of travel and a full medical history.
- Utilise a dedicated data base with listed health risks worldwide or access to WHO/CDC websites.
- Staff trained in consulting & counselling procedures
- Maps / Atlas used to indicate areas of high risk & ensure staff & patients familiar with areas visited
- Product knowledge including indications, contra-indications & adverse reactions
- Information brochures used as detail aids
Administering Vaccines
- Ensure protocols & procedures available for staff regarding all vaccines
- Explain procedure to patient
- Awareness of fear
- Patient to sit or lie as vaso-vagal reaction may occur often as a result of fear
- Observe patient 20-30 minutes
- Ensure correct route is used as efficacy of vaccine may be compromised
Accounting
- Computerised accounting system
- Include Nappi codes/ICD10 codes for medical aid claims on the statement
- Decide between cash only or accounts/medical aid
- Stock control done regularly to minimize stock loss
Patient Records
- Must be retained for 10yrs (travel), 40 yrs (occupational health)
- Accurate recording by staff, particularly phone calls
- Accessible to staff but kept in lockable cabinet
- Confidential
- Name, age, destination and full medical history
- Vaccines dispensed and batch numbers
- Medication given with dosage and quantity
- Adverse reactions clearly recorded
- All follow up calls noted
Vaccination Cards
- International Certificate of Vaccination Cards must be used for all Yellow Fever vaccinations.
- For other vaccinations various other cards issued by pharmaceutical companies or your own designed card may be used.
International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card)
- Supplied by sanofi pasteur in accordance with the DoH. These cards are barcoded with a watermark
- WHO format adhered to
- Correctly completed in full including the following:
- -Patients full name -Date of birth in full, sex -Patients signature -Date of admin written in full -Signature & designation -Manufacturer & Batch No. -Official stamp
- Only issue after yellow fever vaccine given
- Only issue a card if you have administered the vaccine
- Advise traveler to travel with the yellow card (certificate)
Other services
- Pre and post travel medical assessment
- Post travel medical assistance e.g. malaria screening
- Travel related products e.g travel wallets
- Travel insurance
- Telephonic travel helpline
Membership
- Join SASTM so that you have regular information on disease outbreaks, maintaining competence and up to date information on what is happening in the travel medicine world