Cape Town - A major milestone in the provision of quality paediatric health services for children with chronic health conditions was reached when the Children’s Hospital Trust officially opened the newly upgraded Paediatric Outpatient Department at Victoria Hospital on Thursday.
Patients and their caregivers will now have access to a new, airy facility, following the addition of five private consultation rooms, a therapy room and outer deck area with a playground.
Head of paediatrics at Victoria Hospital, Dr Gill Schermbrucker said: “Before this, our therapy was done quite far from where the children were seeing the doctors, so it was a big space to walk up and down, and we wanted it to be more integrated.”
The specialist hospital department sees outpatients referred by primary health-care providers such as clinics and GPs. It facilitates the integrated management of chronic childhood conditions, treating about 7 000 patients a year, on average.
“Practically, waiting times for paediatric patients will be reduced, and the new area will allow more multidisciplinary and holistic care to take place in one space,” Schermbrucker said.
Children's Hospital Trust CEO Chantel Cooper said their role was to raise funds for the project and to facilitate its management, with a budget of R10 million. Building began in July 2022 and was completed in March.
“Since 2015, the CHT (Children's Hospital Trust) has been helping other health facilities who work very closely with the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. The district hospitals and the regional hospitals actually work in partnership with the Red Cross Children’s Hospital so part of the vision going forward was to look at strengthening the relationship between different entities, anybody who takes care of children – we want to make sure they have the resources to take care of children.”
Established in 1994, the Children’s Hospital Trust is a registered non-profit organisation that functions as a fundraising driver to advance child healthcare through the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Funds donated go towards specific projects.
A former patient, Varsity College student Cinderella Mavundla, said: “When I attended this clinic, one of the major problems that's been addressed already was the limited space. But with that, there was also a lot of crying and a lot of restlessness with the children. And I was able to see the space on Wednesday and I absolutely loved it.
“Every bit of it, I could see the care, the energy that was put into this, the resources, amazing! And I honestly am so proud of this and that you all were able to do this.”
Another former patient, Stellenbosch University student Jeniffer Obiajunwa, said: “It's basically a better place now because as parents and children, you travel from far areas in public transport and come back with fatigue, and children just want to play around, so this will allow them to be comfortable in this space and for children to escape the reality of their health problems.”