courages the public to be extra vigilant about protecting their overall health during the colder months, including washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing, sneezing or touching common surfaces.Use hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available and teach children the importance of keeping their hands clean, she says.Exercise, eating a balanced diet, drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, sleeping for at least eight hours a night and managing stress all help to fight off infections, she says.For feedback, call 0860 142 142 or email service@westerncape.gov.za. Anonymous feedback can be posted in the relevant facility's suggestions or complaints box. 17:T5c2,

Patients should use appointment systems at health-care facilities across the province to avoid queuing in the cold, dark early morning and waiting for hours to be seen, says the provincial health department.

Patients need not queue from 5am, risking their safety, if they book an appointment and arrive only 30 minutes before they are due to be seen, says department spokeswoman Monique Johnstone, although she adds that a triage system flags emergency, or red, cases over the less serious yellow and green ones, so in those instances, patients visiting emergency centres with less serious conditions could end up waiting much longer, especially at weekends and after hours.

Ms Johnstone encourages the public to be extra vigilant about protecting their overall health during the colder months, including washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing, sneezing or touching common surfaces.

Use hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available and teach children the importance of keeping their hands clean, she says.

Exercise, eating a balanced diet, drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, sleeping for at least eight hours a night and managing stress all help to fight off infections, she says.

For feedback, call 0860 14