Table 4 Themes

General management practices by health professionals

General assessment of patients’ conditions

• Checking of vital signs

• Laboratory tests

• History taking

General education of patients

• On the state of their conditions

• On taking medications

• On proper storage of the medicines

Specific management practices by health professionals

Based on specific CNCD presented

• Treatment depends on the CNCD presented

• Different medications and foods

Based on the stage of the condition at presentation

• Patients with early-stage presentation get life-saving interventions

• Patients with late-stage presentation only get treatment to ease pain and suffering

Self-management practices by patients

Self-restrictions

• Diet restrictions

• Avoidance of triggers

Exercise

• Walking

Personal first aid

• Carrying out of warm water compression

Use of anthropometric equipment to monitor health status

• Monitoring of sugar level with a glucometer

Challenges in the management of CNCDs

Personal challenges of health professionals

• Language barrier

• Work-related stress emanating from heavy workload

Institutional challenges of health professionals

• Poor utility supply

• Inadequate logistics

• Inadequate staff

• Inadequate motivation

• Inadequate infrastructure

• Inadequate in-service training

Patient-related challenges

• Financial challenges

• Social challenges