Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital opens upgraded Burns Unit
Speaking at the event, the Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, said: "The Western Cape Government is proud to have this hospital in our portfolio of properties. The upgrades completed in the unit are certainly an investment in improved treatment of our patients and a better working environment for our staff.
"I acknowledge all the partners who came on board with financial contributions and in particular, moral support. This facility plays a significant role on this continent in the healing of children with burn wounds, and I thank you for your commitment to this cause, of which the benefits will be visible in the future generation."
Thousands of cases
Every year the hospital treats approximately 3500 children for burns. A total of 85% of burns patients are younger than six and 98% are from disadvantaged communities.
Prof. Heinz Rode, the head of the Burns Unit, said: "A burn is one of the most devastating injuries. It leaves in its wake disfigurement and disability. The new Burns Unit for children will consist of state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance the outcome of these unfortunate children. This was made possible through a concerted effort by the Provincial Administration, the Children's Hospital Trust of the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, the architects, the builders and many individuals. It is a tribute to their initiative and tenacity to see the project through to its completion. The end result is a wonderful new unit and in conjunction with the new burns theatre and ICU facilities, these are state-of-the-art facilities. In future burnt children will harvest the benefits towards recovery."
The new ward will be much larger which will create a more spacious and pleasant working environment.
Larger unit
The hospital's CEO, Dr Lungi Linda, said: "The new unit will be about 150 square metres larger than the original ward, which has only had minor upgrades since it was first opened in 1956. This upgrade of the ward into a fully fledged Burns Unit will go a long way to increase Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital's capacity for care.
"The additional space means that there will be more isolation cubicles, which is essential for burns treatment. The art therapy, physiotherapy and dressing rooms will also be much bigger and more comfortable."
The operational manager for the ward, professional nurse Revona Goosen, said: "The nursing staff is looking forward to a better, safer, more therapeutic working environment, which has adequate space so that we can deliver efficient and effective nursing care."
The upgrade was made possible thanks to the 17-year-old partnership between the Western Cape Department of Health and the Children's Hospital Trust. Half of the funds for the upgrade of the ward were provided for by the Western Cape Department of Health and the Children's Hospital Trust raised the remaining 50%.
Raising funds
The 2009 Art Benefit organised by Amanda Bloch, patron of the Children's Hospital Trust, provided the first seed funding to kick-start the trust's fundraising drive for the Burns Ward upgrade. The recent 2011 Art Benefit raised the final funds needed to complete the project.
Louise Driver, CEO of the Children's Hospital Trust, said: "Thank you so much to all our donors for their generous contributions which are vital in ensuring that priority projects such as the new Burns Unit become a reality. This recent upgrade would not have been possible without our partnership with the provincial government, long-standing trust and foundation donors, corporates, individual donors from our Guardians and Legacy programmes, as well as the support of the public. However, the need within the hospital and in the Western Cape is far greater than our success and the trust requires ongoing support if we are to continue to help improve paediatric health care on the continent."
The Burns Ward (Ward C2) is the fifth ward upgrade that has been made possible thanks to this dynamic public-private partnership. Fundraising for the sixth and seventh ward upgrades are already underway.
Burns treatment is complex. A burn wound inflicts both physical and mental anguish on a child. The provincial Department of Health's multidisciplinary approach to healing incorporates both the physical and mental treatment of a patient, as well as rehabilitation.
The modernised facilities in the new upgraded Burns Unit are on par with the ICU level of critical care and international standards. It has immediate operating-theatre and intensive-care-treatment access and offers a full range of support services and specialties such as plastic surgery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pain management, music and art therapy, aromatherapy, and social services.
