Medical Care on Machaneh
Habonim Dror Machaneh always provides an incredible holiday for all campers. This is a top priority for Habonim as we build a child-centric machaneh. Each child's physical, emotional and social needs are dealt with effectively by our experienced medical team.
A letter from the Camp Doctors:
Dear Parents/Guardians, Channichim and Bogrim
The leadership of Habonim Dror has instituted a childcare resource facility at machaneh. In an unfamiliar environment, children may experience medical, social and emotional difficulties. To combat these problems, Habonim Dror provides the following free medical facilities and services on the campsite. This is all housed on site in Docsville, where a team of doctors, nurses, trained medics, psychologists, social workers and counsellors are immediately available 24 hours a day. If need be, specialists are on call in Hermanus, as are private and public hospitals in the area.
All madrichim are trained and supported by this same team of specialists before and during machaneh to handle any problems.
Docsville is equipped with:
- A 16 bed, modern hospital for sleep-over patients
- A clinic with examination room, treatment facilities and well-stocked dispensary.
For us to take the best care of your child, we require honest and full completion of the medical forms (Parents, doctors and counsellors). Full disclosure is critical. It is highly unlikely that your child will be rejected from machaneh on medical grounds.
Your child will have the best experience if we can support their needs. In the past, some parents have, in collusion with their doctors, omitted important medical information (e.g. ADHD, epilepsy), for fear that their child may not be accepted to camp. We have found that most medical conditions, if well controlled, can be managed well at machaneh. We, therefore, implore you to fill in the medical forms with utmost transparency.
Medical aid details and an indemnity form must be completed in full to facilitate referral.
Please note:
Off-site medical treatment:
All off-site medical costs must be covered by any parents or medical aid. This includes X-rays, medication, or consultations of any nature arranged at any outside (private or public) hospital. Payment will be requested prior to Habonim making any purchase or payment on your behalf. Before this occurs, Habonim will inform you of the situation and request your consent.
Receipts will be provided so that you may claim the expense from your medical aid.
Medication:
Please make sure that any medication that is sent with your child comes with instructions for our madrichim as well as a letter from your doctor.
If your child is on chronic medication (for any medical condition), the prescribing doctor must notify us with the name of the drug, and the use instructions.
Ensure your child with sufficient maintenance medication such as painkillers, basic cold medicine and anything that will treat common ailments they might experience.
Asthma inhalers must be sent with your child and spares should be placed in the clinic for safeguarding. These will be returned at the end of machaneh.
Ritalin and other behavioural medication:
For your child's sake and their enjoyment of the machaneh, continuing their medication is essential. In the past, it has been extremely difficult for madrichim to manage channichim who have been taken off their long-term medication. Camp is an environment which requires concentration and good behaviour. This medication must be sent to the camp doctors or your child's Rosh Shichvah with a covering note from your doctor.
All participants require an up-to-date Tetanus vaccine before camp.
Medication use on machaneh:
The medical team ensures that only trustworthy and reputable medication is used; however, often generics are more cost-effective. If you are not happy about the use of these generics, please ensure that you send an antibiotic or other suitable medication with your child. It is compulsory for your child to hand these to he doctors for safekeeping, preventing inappropriate self-dispensing.
Psycho-social support:
If your child suffers from any psychological conditions and/or has previously seen a psychologist, please send an e-mail to psychologist@habo.org.za. This e-mail will go directly to our camp psychologists and will be kept strictly confidential. This will help us immensely when dealing with psychological difficulties at machaneh. Please make sure you include your child's name and shichvah.
Should you have any questions or concerns, we are available for any discussion if necessary. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Yours sincerely,
The Machaneh Medical Team