New pediatric surgery clinic for Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath academic hospital

Surgeons For Little Lives is a registered non-profit organisation in Johannesburg, committed to saving the lives of sick children. And relies solely on funds raised by the organisation and donations from individuals and corporates.

Beginning in 2015, it is run by a group of paediatric surgeons and ordinary volunteers and is chaired by Professor Jerome Loveland, Head of Paediatric Surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Surgeons For Little Lives is focused on raising the level of care given to patients in the paediatric surgery wards of state hospitals to match the level of expertise of the medical professionals working within these environments.

And in July 2016, it embarked on a new project at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, to build a world-class paediatric surgery and outpatient clinic, including a sleep-over facility for caregivers – a first for the hospital.

Prof. Jerome Loveland, Chairman of the Board, Surgeons for Little Lives says of the project: “With the Department of Health and GSK, we are working on this particular project to overcome infrastructural and capacity challenges within the South Africa healthcare system. This new paediatric surgery clinic is a welcome addition to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and will play an important role in improving access to quality healthcare for children, as well as improving resources for their caregivers and families. Mothers are the best nurses, and the sleep-over facility will mean that they can stay and support their child’s recovery, whilst using the new laundry facility to let them sleep in their own pajamas and bedding donated by SFLLs to help make them feel as comfortable as possible.”

The hospital’s existing paediatric surgery clinic currently draws people from across sub-Saharan Africa and requires essential improvements to serve the catchment area of 10 million people.

The new two-level clinic is designed to support 2,000 outpatients and 300 inpatients per month.

In addition to the facilities for patients and their families, the new paediatric surgery clinic is also designed to be a space conducive for training, forming the clinical and academic hub of the management of patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Surgeons For Little Lives is involved in numerous initiatives to improve the lives of patients and the medical facilities at state owned hospitals in the Greater Gauteng area, to find out how you can get involved click here.