'Pioneering' Red Cross opens new theatre wing IOL HEALTH 17th September 2009 By Jason Warner
An emotional Premier Helen Zille has praised the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital for "pioneering innovation and skill" at the launch of its new R125-million operating wing.
Tearful, the premier said: "The staff could have worked anywhere in the world, but they're here. The collective effort (of financial donors and staff) we've seen here today shows the world-class standard of healthcare on offer, not only to save the precious lives of South African and African children, but of children all over the world."
The new 4 600m2 operating theatre complex, named the Lolo wing, an isiXhosa word for an affectionate or cherished child, was yesterday unveiled two weeks ahead of schedule.
The "gift to child healthcare" includes South Africa's first paediatric Pain Management Unit, a new waiting room for relatives and eight dedicated operating theatres, including three digital operating rooms allowing for remote viewing by students.
Children's Hospital Trust chief executive Nicky Bishop said: "For the first time since the hospital was built in 1956, each operating theatre will be designated to a sub-specialty: emergency and septic orthopedics, burns, neurosurgery and spinal orthopedics (digital), general endoscopic (digital), urology and plastics (digital), cardiac, ophthalmology and an ear, nose and throat theatre."
She said the trust had kept costs low and focused all donations "straight to the hospital".
"Today is a special and important day for all of us. We all made it possible in our own way to build the complex with a vision and passion."
She said the digital theatres would enable medical students to view complex surgery in real time.
Paediatric Surgery head Alastair Head said: "I can say with great pride that the waiting list will be cut tremendously, anywhere from 30 percent to 100 percent, depending on the surgery."
Head said: "It's a state-of-the-art facility better than most in the world. This gives us not only a huge privilege but also a huge responsibility. It's an absolutely wonderful vote of confidence in our local healthcare."
Red Cross chief executive Dimitri Erasmus said the new operating theatre took the hospital, which managed about 250 000 patients annually, into a new era of healthcare and modern technology.
"The bright, spacious environment, with the view of the University (of Cape Town) and our mountain boosts morale. And good morale leads to staff retention, keeping our skills and leading to innovation."
Erasmus said the hospital had "played a critical role" in firsts for South African child healthcare.
It had performed the first successful separation of conjoined twins, a child heart transplant and the first liver and kidney transplants.
jason.warner@inl.co.za IOL HEALTH 17th September 2009 By Jason Warner This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on September 17, 2009
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