LOST CLINIC CARD? HERE’S WHAT TO DO


Your child’s Road to Health booklet (often called the Baby Card, Clinic Card, or Health Card) is a booklet that is issued to every new mother in SA when her baby is born, whether in a private or state hospital service. If your baby is born elsewhere (such as a home birth), you will be given the card when you visit the clinic, doctor, or hospital with your baby for the first time.


USEFUL BABYCARE INFORMATION 
Previously a card, the Road to Health document is now a 44 page, A5 booklet containing helpful information for parents and caregivers. You’ll find advice and guidance on feeding your baby, symptoms, and signs to watch for, and tips on healthcare and caring for your child in general.

YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH RECORDS 
Most importantly, however, it contains a record of your baby’s birth information (weight, size) and his or her subsequent growth rate, immunisations, and any other health issues or interventions – in other words, their health history. The booklet is used to monitor the child’s development up to the age of five. It is designed to keep track of your baby’s healthcare needs and is a very helpful tool for healthcare workers and a source of important information for caregivers. The card also keeps a record of the next time your baby needs to visit the clinic for immunisation.



HELP! I LOST MY BABY'S CLINIC CARD! 
No worry. You can get a new card for your baby. If you can, go to your nearest police station and get a stamped and signed affidavit confirming that your child’s Road to Health booklet was lost, stolen, destroyed, or whatever the case might be. (If there are other health-related documents you need to replace, include them in the affidavit.)

TAKE YOUR INFO TO THE CLINIC 
Next, take the affidavit, your ID, and the child’s birth certificate to the clinic where your baby was born, or the health facility that has most recently been seeing or treating your child.

AN AFFIDAVIT IS NOT ESSENTIAL 
If you can’t get to a police station for an affidavit, don’t worry. Just take your ID and the baby’s birth certificate to the clinic or health facility your child has most recently visited.

ASK FOR YOUR CHILD'S FOLDER AND A NEW BOOKLET 
At the clinic, ask for your child’s folder. This contains all the information that is also in the Road to Health booklet. Ask them to issue you with a new Road to Health booklet. They will then transfer the information from the folder into the new booklet, and you should tell them about any new information that needs to be included (for example, if your child has recently had treatment or developed any new conditions that aren’t included in the history in the folder).



WHAT IF I'VE MOVED SINCE MY BABY WAS BORN? 
If you have recently moved and your baby or child has not yet attended a clinic in the area, go to your nearest clinic and give them your ID number. From this, they should be able to trace your child’s folder to the last clinic you visited. Each folder is numbered and linked to the mother’s ID number. Even if the clinic you last visited cannot have the folder sent to the new clinic, they can provide the information it contains, which can then be filled in on the new booklet.

CAN A CLINIC REFUSE TREATMENT IF I DON'T HAVE THE BOOKLET? 
No, clinics may not refuse medical treatment, whether you have the booklet with you or not.

CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR SCHOOL WITHOUT THE BOOKLET?
Yes, you can. It is not legal for a school to bar a child admission because they don’t have their Road to Health booklet. (However, Covid-19 has caused stricter rules about vaccinations and if your child is not vaccinated for religious or ethical reasons you will have to get a doctor’s certificate or affidavit confirming reasons for non-vaccination.)

CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD'S BIRTH WITHOUT THE BOOKLET? 
Yes, you can. All you need to register your child’s birth is the maternity letter you got from the hospital or clinic where they were born. You will need to take your baby in with you to the Department of Home Affairs to register their birth.

CAN I GET AN ID FOR MY CHILD WITHOUT THE BOOKLET? 
Yes, you can. Once your child is 16 and eligible for an identity document, you simply have to provide their birth certificate to apply for their ID at the Department of Home Affairs.

ROAD TO HEALTH DIGITAL APP 
The Road to Health app or the eRTHB is planned as a mobile phone application for Android smartphones. The aim is to allow caregivers to access the information in the Road to Health booklet, so it won’t matter if the booklet is lost or mislaid. It will be downloadable onto your Android smartphone from the Playstore – look for the Road to Health app. (For confirmation of when the app will be launched contact your local department of health.)

USEFUL CONTACTS

DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS 
Call 0800 601 190
Website dha.gov.za

SIDE-BY-SIDE 
This is a campaign for pregnant women and caregivers of children under the age of five. It’s led by the National Department of Health but provincial and local departments, NGOs, and community-based organisations work with them. The aim is to ‘ensure that all children in South Africa receive the nurturing care they need to develop best.’
Call +2712 395 8000
Email info@sidebyside.co.za

MOMSMATTER SOUTH AFRICA 
This is an online group where parents can ask questions and have them answered by experts.
Email momsmatter.co.za

TABANSI 
Tabansi is a Facebook group the principal purpose of which is to educate learners’ parents on their rights regarding school fees, admissions, and other matters affecting kids’ schooling, at private and public schools.
Facebook: Tabansi
Sue Larkan 076 554 6657

By Lynne C Stafford 



LOST CLINIC CARD? HERE’S WHAT TO DO LOST CLINIC CARD? HERE’S WHAT TO DO Reviewed by Michelle Pienaar on April 09, 2021 Rating: 5
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