FITMed24

Category: Clinic Medicals

  • Three Benefits of doing Employee Medicals?

    Three Benefits of doing Employee Medicals?

    Employee Medicals have the potential to benefit both employees and the organisations they work for:

    • They offer lasting benefits to employees. A worker may be helped to overcome a niggling health problem or the tests may capture potentially more serious health issues early when they are easier to treat.
    • Lifestyle advise and support (e.g. advice about smoking cessation) can reap long-term life-enhancing benefits.
    • An organisation would benefit from supporting the health and wellbeing of the workforce, with the potential for lower levels of sickness and absenteeism. Fitter workers may also concentrate better and have higher levels of productivity too.

    An organisation’s workforce is its most important asset, so it makes sense for managers to do what can be done to detect illness and promote health and wellbeing. And keeping employees healthy and productive arguably makes sound financial sense. There are a number of different forms of employee health screening, including:

    • Full physical examination
    • Vision test
    • Audiometry test
    • Spirometry test.

    Full Physical Examination comprises of a combination of tests, which aim to give an individual a general overview of their health status and help to detect disease or risk factors early. Any issues can then be followed up with a GP, which is important as many people may suspect that they have a health issue but have not undergone medical tests. 

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies eight key risks factors to health, all of which could be addressed in a health check:

    • Smoking.
    • Drinking alcohol.
    • Obesity.
    • High blood pressure.
    • High cholesterol.
    • High blood glucose.
    • Poor diet.
    • Lack of exercise.

    Medicals are provided as part of occupational health provision but should always be carried out by trained professionals who can offer good advice on the next steps, as necessary. Furthermore, employees should be reassured that the results of tests will remain confidential.

    Any group screening should also involve a report to the organisation with health trends across the workforce, average levels of health and fitness compared to national averages, etc. so that the company can review its working practices and use the information to improve the working environment.

    There are a number of possible approaches to health checks, Clinic Medicals or the use of the mobile medical facility. Organisations should choose the best option for them based on a number of factors, e.g. the size of the organisation, cost implications, the type of business and the pattern of work of employees. 

    Employee Medicals offer a variety of benefits both for organisations and the individuals who work for them.

    Benefits to individuals:

    • Access to health information.
    • Reduced health risks.
    • Improved performance.
    • Better mental health.

    Benefits to organisations:

    • Reduced sickness absence levels.
    • Greater staff satisfaction.
    • Reduced turnover of staff.
    • Improved productivity.
    • Improved morale and loyalty amongst employees – health screening demonstrates that employers care about their staff and are dedicated to helping them stay healthy.
    • Improved team-working.

    Trust FITMed24 with your Employee Medicals

  • What is Occupational Health & Safety

    What is Occupational Health & Safety

    An Overview of Occupational Health and Safety in South Africa

    While the potential dangers to which some workers were exposed when performing their designated tasks were recognised even by the ancient Greeks and Romans, attempts to protect them from such hazards were limited by the technology of the times. Even with the knowledge of such dangers, it was many centuries before any occupational health and safety regulations that were intended to protect those employees who are exposed to workplace hazards were eventually introduced into law. Today, the employers in most of the industrialised nations are now bound by such legislation.

    It was during the First World War years that the South African government first expressed its concern regarding the high rate of serious injuries in the workplace, which led to the Factories Act of 1918. It was later replaced by the Factories, Machinery and Building Work Act of 1941, imposing certain responsibilities and duties on those who used machinery, occupied factories, or undertook building projects. Today, the occupational health and safety requirements with which local employers are required to comply are both stricter and more far-reaching, following the introduction of a new act in 1993.

    Other, more industry-specific acts followed detailing safety requirements for mines, railways, civil aviation, and maritime occupations followed during the course of the next two decades. In essence, the legislation these various acts introduced placed the onus on employers to take steps to provide a safe working environment. To do so, a workplace assessment must be performed by an accredited occupational health and safety professional to identify any potential hazards; evaluate the extent of the risk these may pose; review the effectiveness of current precautionary measures, and to recommend any improvements that may be deemed necessary. The employer is then given sufficient time to act on those recommendations before a further assessment is conducted.

    During an occupational health and safety assessment, attention may be paid to physical, chemical, biological, and even ergonomic hazards. Physical threats might include noise, vibration, or radiation, depending on the workplace activities, while water and air sampling may be required to identify harmful chemicals or microorganisms where appropriate.

    Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps these acts do not mandate medical examination of those workers who routinely operate in potentially hazardous conditions. However, it is in the interest of employers to see that workplace medicals are made available to them. Like the inspections, these can only be undertaken by personnel who possess a recognised occupational health and safety qualification. So, why should these examinations be considered important?

    Where risks are known to exist, even though precautions are in place, conducting regular staff medicals can offer reassurance that these are adequate, and that staff are actually complying with them. Also, when reviewing applicants for a physically demanding or specialised occupation, this can help to determine whether a candidate meets the physical requirements of the job in addition to possessing the necessary skills and experience.

    Monitoring the health of employees is not only in their best interest, but it is also a good business decision. Implementing staff medicals as a part of the company’s occupational health and safety programme can help to ensure a healthy, productive workforce while also serving to minimise the risk of crippling industrial compensation claims. Talk to FITMed24 about how best to ensure the health of your workers.

  • The Evolutionary Benefits Of Occupational Health

    The Evolutionary Benefits Of Occupational Health

    The Evolution of Occupational Health and Its Valuable Benefits

    While most of us tend to believe that concerns over matters, such as sanitation, safe working conditions, and occupational health, are all products of our modern civilisation, each of these has its origins in the distant past. There is abundant archaeological evidence to support this, dating back almost 4 000 years. At the same time, concerns over the impact of work on health were already being addressed by icons, such as the Greek physician, Hippocrates, who recognised the importance of clean air and water, and Galen, an official physician to Rome’s gladiatorial combatants.

    Over the centuries, others have seen the need to provide workers with various forms of protection, such as masks to limit the inhalation of dust particles. However, only with the vastly improved understanding of illness and its multiple causes did the evolution of the advanced occupational health services we enjoy today become possible. 

    However, before any effective preventative measures could be introduced, it was first necessary to develop the technology with which to do so. Consequently, while concerns over the appalling living and working conditions to which workers were subjected had become widespread by the middle of the nineteenth century, it took almost another century before anything remotely resembling the services provided by the doctors, nurses, and other therapists responsible for occupational health today finally became available.

    At this time, in fact, the emphasis was more on workplace safety, such as the prevention of injuries and limiting the risks posed by hazards, such as toxic chemicals and dust particles in the air, rather than actually examining workers for evidence of illness that might have been caused by factors within the working environment. Only in 1983, when the government of South Africa passed legislation covering safety in the workplace, did similar concerns for occupational health begin to translate into positive action. 

    Though necessary, the training of technical experts to inspect factories and other businesses for possible hazards and to evaluate or provide advice about suitable protective measures became just one part of a two-part initiative. The second was to train medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other therapists, to conduct specialised examinations for evidence of work-related illnesses. This role has gradually become extended and, today, these occupational health specialists are also called upon to assess the physical suitability of employees to undertake certain tasks to determine whether workers are fit to return to work following an accident or injury.

    In addition, these specialists are often called upon to check on the medical status of employees at the time of joining a company and when retiring or resigning their posts. This provides the means to preclude any condition that might lead to a claim for worker’s compensation. When examinations of those known to be at risk are carried out at regular intervals, it allows early detection and treatment of any problems detected, whether work-related or not. 

    Arranging for staff to undergo periodic examinations by occupational health physicians and nurses is clear evidence of concern on the part of an employer, an observation that can help to boost morale and, in turn, productivity. If you would like to be sure that your workforce is healthy, happy, and productive, why not give FITMed24 a call?

  • Our Registration Accreditation

    Our Registration Accreditation

    Our Occupational Doctors, General Practitioners and Nurses are registered with their respective councils. Our professionals are registered with the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) SANC (South African Nursing Council) SASOHN (South African Society of Occupational Health Nurses). FITMed24 is a corporate member of SAIOSH (South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)

  • How to stop the spread of Coronavirus

    How to stop the spread of Coronavirus


    COVID-19 is a new illness thought to originate in China. Lots of people call it Coronavirus, which is the family of virus it belongs too. It is a virus that affects your lungs and ability to breath.

    We are all responsible for stopping the spread of this virus, here are 5 top tips to prevent the spread

    1. Stay at home and limit travel to essential travel only.
    2. If you are showing any symptoms of the Coronavirus self isolate for seven days.
      1. Continuous cough
      2. High Temperature
    3. Do not meet with any other people who are outside your household.
    4. Wash your hands regularly.
    5. Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve.

    What to do if a family member or a person you share your household with has signs of Coronavirus and how to stop the spread of the Coronavirus

    1. Stay at home for 14 days and don’t go anywhere; this is even if you don’t have any symptoms.
    2. Use a different bedroom and bathroom if possible.
    3. Wipe surfaces, handles and contact points with a suitable detergent often during the day.
    4. If you start to show symptoms of the Coronavirus, self isolate at home for seven days.
    5. Wash your hands frequently during the day for 20 seconds with antibacterial soap.
    6. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth as this increase the chance of infection
    7. Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve  

    High Risk People

    Remember the following groups of people are at more risk of being seriously sick due to the Corona Virus:

    1. Adults over the age of 70
    2. Pregnant Ladies
    3. Adults with Pre-existing conditions

    The following pre-existing conditions are more at risk due to the Coronavirus

    1. Conditions that affect the immune system such as HIV and Aids and Chemotherapy
    2. Severely overweight with a BMI of over 40
    3. Problems with the spleen
    4. Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone disease
    5. Chronic long term respiratory diseases, like as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
    6. Heart disease

    The above should not be taken as medical advice and is by no means an exhaustive list of conditions or risk-reducing measures, but information to help reduce the risk. Always consult a medical professional should you have any concerns or symptoms. Stay Safe.

    Let us all do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus

    PS. If you want to see the latest updates of the virus spreading use a trusted source

  • Why Your Business Needs Up-To-Date Occupational Medicals

    Why Your Business Needs Up-To-Date Occupational Medicals

    If you have been wondering why occupational medicals are important for your business, we’re here to tell you. Carrying out regular medical tests and surveillance at work is not just a wise thing to do because the Occupational Health and Safety Act legally requires employers to do so. While being compliant with the law is an important motivating factor, it’s not the only one. Other important reasons to ensure that your employees’ occupational medicals are up to date is to guarantee minimal downtime for your business and to protect the wellbeing of your staff. Your workforce is the beating heart of your business and without its health and strength, your business’s full potential will simply not be reached.


    Medicals can come in many varieties and forms. Whether you need medical testing done on the move, fit-for-duty tests carried out, or even risk-based medical surveillance done, we can assist you. Medical testing and monitoring can be offered for pre-placement situations, as well as for exit situations and ongoing employment. The point is not to rid the workplace of those who are negatively impacted by the working environment; it is to ensure that employees are provided with the correct safety mechanisms to protect their health and to ensure ongoing, long-term employment with the business. It’s a win-win for all parties involved.

    When opting for occupational medicals to be carried out, they can be done at the providing company’s premises, or on-site at your own (which is often preferred in work environments where downtime can quickly have a detrimental effect on productivity). It’s best to choose a company that is recognised in your area, and that has the experience, specialised equipment and medical professionals available to carry out testing and monitoring, and to translate the information gathered professionally and accurately.

    At FITMed24, we offer medical testing and surveillance services to companies operating in all industries. Our equipment, which is well maintained, is SABS approved and holds international accreditation, while also adhering to international standards with the relevant authorities. In order for your occupational medicals to be of value to your company, you need to have them carried out correctly, with the right equipment and the best, qualified professionals. At FITMed24, you are guaranteed of exactly that.

    If you would like to learn more about the process involved in carrying out occupational medicals or would like to book one of our services with us, kindly contact us. 

  • The Scope of Occupational Health Services

    The Scope of Occupational Health Services

    The role of those responsible for ensuring health and safety in the workplace, now commonly described as industrial hygiene, is to identify potential hazards and to institute measures to ensure that any threat posed to workers is eliminated or kept within acceptable limits. By contrast, the focus of occupational health services is more about establishing the fitness of a worker to perform his or her designated tasks. Not to be confused with proficiency testing, in this case, it is the physical suitability of an employee to undertake a given task that these services are intended to evaluate.

    The conditions under which workers are required to perform can vary quite widely, and part of ensuring their health and safety at work is to make quite certain that they are physically equipped to handle those conditions. For example, should an employer wish to hire staff to work in a food processing plant, the role of an occupational health services specialist would be to examine the prospective employees for any evidence that one of them could be a symptomless carrier of E.coli or some other potential gastrointestinal pathogen.

    In a similar vein, imagine the consequences of hiring a construction worker who, at some stage. is required to work on the upper level of a high-rise building, should that worker fall and become seriously injured or worse. A straightforward mistake due to carelessness would be bad enough, but what if that worker experienced severe vertigo and lost balance? It is precisely to prevent occurrences, such as this, that occupational health services are available to employers. In this case, failure to spot that a prospective employee was a victim of Meniere’s disease could leave an employer exposed to costly legal action. In this respect, these services are as much a source of protection for employers as they are for employees.

    Speaking of industrial compensation claims, one of the greatest benefits available to any employer is to have a record of each employee’s state of health from the point at which he or she joined the company to his or her date of departure, If, for example, a departing employee should claim to have developed noise-induced hearing loss on the job, the records kept by an occupational health services company could prove unequivocally that the claimant’s hearing was no worse than when he or she was first employed.

    Fitness for work will often be taken for granted when an employee returns to work following an injury or a bout of illness. Once again, should this prove untrue, there could be serious consequences. This is yet another example of how occupational health services protect workers and employers across South Africa.

  • Employee Medicals

    Employee Medicals

    What are the Benefits of Employee Medicals? It is a business owner’s moral and legal obligation to provide employees with medical care and monitoring when they work in a potentially dangerous or volatile environment. Employee medicals are essential in many industries, but they can also be disruptive to business productivity if they aren’t properly planned and processed. Hiring a professional on-site medical company can eliminate some of the pitfalls. Below are a few reasons why you shouldn’t skimp on your employee medicals.

    • It’s a life or death situation
      Employee medicals and health monitoring can ensure that issues are picked up early on. This could mean the difference between life and death for your employees, and it can also save you money on future healthcare costs.  
    • A healthy workforce is a present workforce
      Absenteeism can be a serious profit-drainer for a business, especially if temporary staff members have to be brought in to help out. If your staff members are treated early on for potential health issues, absenteeism won’t be a major concern for you. Employee medicals can be carried out on site via a mobile clinic, which means that having tests carried out won’t negatively affect the employee.  
    • Profits will rise
      Healthy employees will be far more productive than those with illnesses or injuries. A sick employee will become increasingly less productive as time passes and their illness develops. If you want to protect your profits and productivity, protect the health and ongoing wellbeing of your employees.  
    • Your workforce will be more satisfied
      Employees who constantly worry about their health status will be distracted and unmotivated. If you want to boost morale and ensure that the workplace is enveloped in a positive atmosphere, provide your workforce with peace of mind. Ongoing medical check-ups will provide staff members with certainty and will in turn boost morale in the workplace. Satisfied employees are generally more dedicated to the company and will be loyal team members.  
    • Leave the management and implementation of health regulations to the pros
      All business owners have a lot on their plates. It will prove difficult to handle all daily tasks, as well as keep up to date with the latest health data affecting your particular industry. Occupational medical service providers make it their duty to keep up to date with the health and safety regulations that affect your industry. With the help of such a company, your business can always be up to date with health data and regulations.

    Sending your employees to see a medical practitioner will be a logistical nightmare. Mobile clinics offering employee medicals are the ultimate solution for both large and small corporations. At FITMed24, we bring the mobile clinic to you. Your employees will not have to stress about the process or spend valuable time and money on getting to and from the doctor/medical team.

    Learning more about what to expect during employee medicals is as simple as getting in touch with us at FITMed24. We encourage you to send us an email or give us a call to discuss your needs and requirements. 

  • How Occupational Health Affects Workers, Employers, and the Economy

    How Occupational Health Affects Workers, Employers, and the Economy

    With few exceptions, for millennia, it has been the practice of employers to assign precedence to profits while giving little or no thought to the cost borne by employees in their efforts to meet their, often unrealistic, production targets. Periodically, it became evident that some workers, such as miners, might be exposed to hazards that could impede their productivity and, the Ancient Greeks, for example, responded by issuing crude masks to limit the inhalation of dust. Even the industrial revolution did little to change employers’ attitudes, and legislation governing occupational health and safety was not introduced until the latter half of the twentieth century.

    While earlier acts aimed to protect workers in selected fields like mining and construction, only in 1994 did South Africa introduce an act that applied to all workers and obliged employers to adopt measures to protect them. Today, the employer’s responsibility is mainly to identify possible hazards and implement measures to eliminate or minimise them, failing which, they must provide workers with effective protection. Occupational health measures, however, should not be restricted to preventative measures. Though not yet a legal requirement, performing regular medical examinations of workers to ensure they have not been affected by such hazards has some important benefits.

    In practice, the lesson that those employers of the past failed to learn was that the cost of keeping their employees healthy can be recouped almost immediately, purely as a result of their greater productivity. In addition, a healthy workforce means less money spent on unproductive, paid sick leave. Putting profits before occupational health concerns can, in fact, be more likely to lead to losses.

    Statistics suggest that absenteeism in South Africa is currently costing the nation’s economy something between R12 and R15 billion every year. The figures arise from the combined cost of paying the wages of absentees, hiring, and perhaps training temporary staff to replace them or paying overtime to existing employees for filling in. It is less obvious when the quality of goods or services is compromised by staff shortages, which further underlines the widespread importance of occupational health services.

    Liability is yet another challenge faced by employers. In recent years, claims arising from work-related conditions, such as silicosis and asbestosis have been overtaken by those from workers affected by excessive noise in the workplace. Many of these are likely to be spurious, but only the evidence of periodic audiograms conducted as part of an occupational health programme could confirm or preclude the possibility of fraud. Without such evidence, a seasoned industrial injury lawyer will require little more than proof of his or her clients’ currently impaired ability to hear and a noisy working environment, to substantiate a claim. Such possibilities provide yet another compelling reason for an employer to consider this option.

    It is not unreasonable to claim that the responsibility for their health should rest with the individual, but, where there is a risk of work-related illness, it is in the interest of employers to ensure that this responsibility is fulfilled. To assist them, FITMed24 offers a comprehensive occupational health plan that includes a number of free, but valuable benefits for participating companies, and is the first organisation of its kind in South Africa to do so.

  • The Importance of Occupational Health

    The Importance of Occupational Health

    What is Occupational Health? Anyone who is employed will know that the job can get on top of one at times. However, it may not be the job itself or any lack of knowledge or experience that is the problem, but rather that you simply lack the physical qualities required to perform certain of the tasks required. The science of occupational health (OH) was born as a result of health and safety legislation governing the management of potential hazards in the workplace. While the legislation proposed the introduction of measures to protect workers from such hazards, this invaluable spin-off of the Health and Safety at Work Act is intended to measure the fitness of individuals to perform their various assigned tasks.

    For example, someone with respiratory problems should not be working in an environment where sawdust or cement particles are constantly present in the air, even if provided with a protective mask. Likewise, that same employee could be at risk if consistently required to lift heavy items. Examination by an occupational health specialist can quickly expose such inadequacies and ensure that those affected are allocated tasks that they are physically capable of doing.

    For several years now, this type of examination has been seen as a valuable addition to the conventional selection process. In addition to the usual reference checks, psychometric tests, and face-to-face interview, many prospective employers are now choosing to include a medical examination, more specifically, an examination of the type conducted by an occupational health specialist. These are essentially a means by which to gauge whether a candidate has the level and type of physical fitness seen as necessary to cope with the physical demands of the job rather than merely possessing an appropriate qualification and a glowing reference.

    These procedures are thorough and can be tailored according to the specific needs of the given industry whilst containing elements that remain common to all. Furthermore, the value of this particular type of occupational health service is not confined to recruitment. Anyone who is engaged in a physically demanding task, for a protracted period, carries the risk of an injury or illness that might require time off from work. For these individuals, an OH specialist will be far better qualified to determine whether or not they are fit to return to work than the average GP who will probably have little knowledge regarding the physical demands posed by the patient’s job.

    Despite the importance of these medicals, this is only one of the services provided by occupational health specialists. In addition to being called upon to conduct TB and HIV screening programmes, they also play an important educational role. For example, companies are required by law to ensure that adequate first aid facilities are available to their staff. The kit alone, without the knowledge and experience needed to utilise it, would be of little benefit, and so, these specialists also undertake to provide all of the professional first aid training required.

    In order to gain employment as an occupational health practitioner, the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who choose this option must undergo a course of specialised training, gain a recognised OH qualification, and be granted official accreditation before they are permitted to dispense their professional services. Chat to FITMed24 about Occupational Health Services for your staff.