The Ngwelezane Hospital, which is about 20km from Richards Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal, is a 554-bed hospital that provides district, regional and tertiary services to densely populated communities from the King Cetshwayo, Umkhanyakude and Zululand districts. It is also the referral centre for children who have suffered burns, trauma requiring surgery and orthopaedic care.
Previously, all paediatric burns and trauma cases at Ngwelezane Hospital were treated in the Adult Burns Ward, which allocated 21 of its 38 beds for younger patients. Burns patients require very intense and specialised care to avoid potentially fatal infections and, in most cases, skin grafts are needed to repair the damaged tissue.
With this as background, the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust was afforded an opportunity to address the needs of this group of patients by way of an extraordinary donation of R10.3m from South32’s Hillside Aluminium.
To quote Calvin Mkhabela (Vice President Operations: Hillside Aluminium), "Making a difference in the lives of our communities cannot be done in isolation; we realise and value the opportunity to work with other partners. We believe that sustainable change can only come about through joint efforts/partnerships – like this one with the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust.
It is only through efforts of this kind that we can be sure that the next generation will be able to attain the right medical attention and assistance.
Children the world over have the right to decent medical care and our choice to partner with the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust forms part of our overarching value that speaks to CARE.
Our investment – R10.3million - in this facility equates to investing in the future of our country; our children.
Our collective approach to such projects will ensure that our work to improve the lives of our communities reflects a clear understanding of the broader issues and concerns that plague our country and closer to home, our district and region.
Today, through our donation of R10.3million we reaffirm our commitment to work with all the relevant stakeholders to bridge the gap when it comes to improving healthcare and support for our children.
And to the team here at Ngwelezane Hospital, we commend you for your tireless contribution – through constant support and care for the patients who come through this facility. We wish you well."
In order to realise our ambitious goals, the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust was able to forge further partnerships with Sakhiwo Infrastructure Solutions and architects and the Hospital Design Group, to create a brand new 22-bed Paediatric Burns Unit. Even with this tremendous support, the realisation of this project would not have been possible without enormous support from an addiitonal thirty plus donors, who provided building materials and medical equipment to ensure its success.
In the words of Dr. Sandile Tshabalala, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s Chief Director in Specialised Services,
The state-of-the-art facility provides a range of care options from general patient to high care and isolated ICU rooms, as well as the best in purpose-fit medical equipment.
“We accept the donation with thanks, but critically ask all partners to take care of it and other such facilities. We hope this facility will be able to create more dedicated health care workers and treat as many people as possible. Thanks to the partners, Carte Blanche and the MultiChoice team,” said Dr. Tshabalala.
“The new Paediatric Unit at Ngwelezane Hospital will literally be a lifesaver for children in desperate need of specialised care,” said Georginah Machiridza, Senior Manager of Marketing for M-Net Channels. “Beyond that, however, the medical staff at the hospital will benefit from working in modern facilities and being trained on up-to-date equipment and treatment methodologies, making Ngwelezane Hospital a forerunner in specialist childcare.”
Watch the Ngwelezane Handover Video
From paraffin stoves, open flames to candles falling over – the chances of a child suffering severe burns increases in poorly developed areas and is a common reality in South Africa. Now the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust together with its valued partners and donors, have stepped in to create a custom designed Paediatric Burns Unit at Ngwelezana Hospital, which is a key referral centre for many children in KwaZulu-Natal. This facility aims to provide the highest level of care for children suffering from severe burn injuries.
The Carte Blanche Making a Different Trust would like to extend great gratitude to our dedicated donors.
Bigen
Cochrane
Corobrik
Dekro
Diebold Nixdorf
Dorma Kaba
Dräger
East Coast Medical
Edge to Edge Construction
Everite
Franke
Gradus
Hospi Track Africa
Hospital Design Group
Hutz Medical
iTe
JNB Ceramica
Kwikot
Lixil
Mac-Care
Marmoran
Max on Top
Parrot Products
Pelican Systems
Polyflor
PPC Cement
Red Carpet Travel
Respiratory Care Africa
S&W Consulting
