Date: 13/02/2003
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Red Cross Children's Hospital funds appeal launch
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, AT THE RED CROSS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FUNDS APPEAL LAUNCH, Cape Town, 13 February 2003
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentleman, Members of the Children's Hospital Trust, and Staff of the Red Cross Children's Hospital, Good Day.
It gives me great pleasure to be here today at the launch of an appeal fund for a new trauma unit for the hospital.
Our country continues to face high incidence of violence and injury against our people, particularly women and children. According to the latest Stats SA report on the causes of death in South Africa, non-natural causes remain the highest single cause of death, accounting for 8.2% of all deaths.
Our collaborative study with the Institute for Social and Health Sciences and the Medical Research Council indicates that high alcohol intake has a major impact in most cases of violence. For instance, in over half of all cases of homicides reported, the victims had raised blood alcohol levels. I must say that by far the vast majority of these deaths could be prevented.
Unfortunately, we do not yet have good data on how many people survive these cases of violence. However, what we know is that the cost of violence to the economy and to the health service is huge. In some areas, up to half of a hospital's budget is spent on the emergency outpatient service where violence related injuries are the main cause for admission. This is why government continues to act very strongly on curbing violence.
There are a number of clearly identifiable risk factors for violence, but two stand out above all others: one is poverty and the other is alcohol. This means that we cannot afford to be narrow in our thinking on how to combat violence.
More police and higher security consciousness are important. But we also need to tackle the very complex problems related to poverty and we need to have powerful programmes to help people stop alcohol and drug abuse. The Department of Health's efforts to curb promotion of alcohol consumption is informed by the need to protect children and young people from several negative effects of alcohol abuse.
Children are too frequently the victims of road traffic accidents, child abuse and home accidents. In response to these challenges, our focus for this year's World Health Day (7 April) will be on creating a healthy environment for children.
We believe that until such time that society accepts responsibility for its children, special services need to be provided for those children who are neglected, abused, ill and injured.
The Red Cross Children's Hospital has steadfastly and with great dedication served the needs of children over the past 50 years. In 1986 the hospital established a trauma centre to deal with the increasing influx of children presenting to the hospital with injuries or trauma.
This unit became an essential part of the Red Cross Children's Hospital, stabilising and treating seriously injured or traumatised patients prior to admission.
The facility in itself has faithfully served its clientele over the years but, with the ever-increasing need for additional capacity, the need for improved services has become a necessity. I would like to recognise the efforts made by the Hospital Management together with the Western Cape Health Department and the Children's Hospital Trust over the past year, working towards the establishment a new trauma unit.
I understand that such a new unit, in its modern form, will cost the hospital approximately R13,5 million. Through the endeavours of the fund raising arm of the Children's Hospital Trust at least two substantial donations have been received. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Discovery Life and the Anglo-American Chairman's Fund for their contribution to this project of R2 million and R4 million respectively.
The kind and very generous gesture of these two private entities is a wonderful example of the commitment that the private sector has in improving health care, and it poses a challenge to other members of the private sector to become more actively involved in social development in this country.
We are gathered here today to say more partners are needed to assist in raising additional funds to meet the total cost of this very important project.
While we applaud this initiative of building a bigger facility, we need to be aware that the Red Cross Hospital will eventually deliver mostly, if not exclusively, highly specialised services to the people of South Africa and Africa at large. Therefore, this facility should be viewed within this broader context rather than exclusively meeting the needs of the local communities.
Over an above this, the challenge we have is to make services, such a trauma centres, to be user-friendly to children and women who, in most cases are the prime victims of abuse and violence. I am convinced that this facility will be used, among other things, as a site of best practice - adding to the wonderful history of this hospital.
Upon perusing the business plans for the intended unit I am pleased to note that the intention is to site the new unit with the existing medical emergency centre. The Department of Health firmly believes that medical and trauma emergencies should be linked.
With the National Health Bill that we hope to bring to parliament this year, we are developing regulations for emergency centres (combined trauma and medical emergencies). These regulations will regulate emergency centres with regards to norms and standards, personnel competencies, facilities and specialised medical equipment. We hope that this institution will assist us in incorporating the specific needs of traumatised children in our regulations.
Supplementary to this is an initiative by the health department for the establishment of an emergency physician specialty.
This effort, in conjunction with the existing training programmes for doctors and nurses, will allow doctors employed in emergency centres to specialise in this field of health science.
Ladies and gentlemen, this particular initiative is not only an example of the dedication that continues to exist within the health sector, but also serves to give courage to all of us who are committed to improving health services to the citizens of South Africa.
I have no doubt that the efforts of the Children's Hospital Trust will bear fruits and secure the necessary funds to complete the unit in time for its intended launch in April 2004.
In closing, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to congratulate all the wonderful staff of the Red Cross Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital Trust their your tireless efforts.
I wish you all the best in your endeavours.
Thank you.
Source: Department of Health
(http://www.doh.gov.za)
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Red Cross Children's Hospital funds appeal launch
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, AT THE RED CROSS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FUNDS APPEAL LAUNCH, Cape Town, 13 February 2003
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentleman, Members of the Children's Hospital Trust, and Staff of the Red Cross Children's Hospital, Good Day.
It gives me great pleasure to be here today at the launch of an appeal fund for a new trauma unit for the hospital.
Our country continues to face high incidence of violence and injury against our people, particularly women and children. According to the latest Stats SA report on the causes of death in South Africa, non-natural causes remain the highest single cause of death, accounting for 8.2% of all deaths.
Our collaborative study with the Institute for Social and Health Sciences and the Medical Research Council indicates that high alcohol intake has a major impact in most cases of violence. For instance, in over half of all cases of homicides reported, the victims had raised blood alcohol levels. I must say that by far the vast majority of these deaths could be prevented.
Unfortunately, we do not yet have good data on how many people survive these cases of violence. However, what we know is that the cost of violence to the economy and to the health service is huge. In some areas, up to half of a hospital's budget is spent on the emergency outpatient service where violence related injuries are the main cause for admission. This is why government continues to act very strongly on curbing violence.
There are a number of clearly identifiable risk factors for violence, but two stand out above all others: one is poverty and the other is alcohol. This means that we cannot afford to be narrow in our thinking on how to combat violence.
More police and higher security consciousness are important. But we also need to tackle the very complex problems related to poverty and we need to have powerful programmes to help people stop alcohol and drug abuse. The Department of Health's efforts to curb promotion of alcohol consumption is informed by the need to protect children and young people from several negative effects of alcohol abuse.
Children are too frequently the victims of road traffic accidents, child abuse and home accidents. In response to these challenges, our focus for this year's World Health Day (7 April) will be on creating a healthy environment for children.
We believe that until such time that society accepts responsibility for its children, special services need to be provided for those children who are neglected, abused, ill and injured.
The Red Cross Children's Hospital has steadfastly and with great dedication served the needs of children over the past 50 years. In 1986 the hospital established a trauma centre to deal with the increasing influx of children presenting to the hospital with injuries or trauma.
This unit became an essential part of the Red Cross Children's Hospital, stabilising and treating seriously injured or traumatised patients prior to admission.
The facility in itself has faithfully served its clientele over the years but, with the ever-increasing need for additional capacity, the need for improved services has become a necessity. I would like to recognise the efforts made by the Hospital Management together with the Western Cape Health Department and the Children's Hospital Trust over the past year, working towards the establishment a new trauma unit.
I understand that such a new unit, in its modern form, will cost the hospital approximately R13,5 million. Through the endeavours of the fund raising arm of the Children's Hospital Trust at least two substantial donations have been received. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Discovery Life and the Anglo-American Chairman's Fund for their contribution to this project of R2 million and R4 million respectively.
The kind and very generous gesture of these two private entities is a wonderful example of the commitment that the private sector has in improving health care, and it poses a challenge to other members of the private sector to become more actively involved in social development in this country.
We are gathered here today to say more partners are needed to assist in raising additional funds to meet the total cost of this very important project.
While we applaud this initiative of building a bigger facility, we need to be aware that the Red Cross Hospital will eventually deliver mostly, if not exclusively, highly specialised services to the people of South Africa and Africa at large. Therefore, this facility should be viewed within this broader context rather than exclusively meeting the needs of the local communities.
Over an above this, the challenge we have is to make services, such a trauma centres, to be user-friendly to children and women who, in most cases are the prime victims of abuse and violence. I am convinced that this facility will be used, among other things, as a site of best practice - adding to the wonderful history of this hospital.
Upon perusing the business plans for the intended unit I am pleased to note that the intention is to site the new unit with the existing medical emergency centre. The Department of Health firmly believes that medical and trauma emergencies should be linked.
With the National Health Bill that we hope to bring to parliament this year, we are developing regulations for emergency centres (combined trauma and medical emergencies). These regulations will regulate emergency centres with regards to norms and standards, personnel competencies, facilities and specialised medical equipment. We hope that this institution will assist us in incorporating the specific needs of traumatised children in our regulations.
Supplementary to this is an initiative by the health department for the establishment of an emergency physician specialty.
This effort, in conjunction with the existing training programmes for doctors and nurses, will allow doctors employed in emergency centres to specialise in this field of health science.
Ladies and gentlemen, this particular initiative is not only an example of the dedication that continues to exist within the health sector, but also serves to give courage to all of us who are committed to improving health services to the citizens of South Africa.
I have no doubt that the efforts of the Children's Hospital Trust will bear fruits and secure the necessary funds to complete the unit in time for its intended launch in April 2004.
In closing, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to congratulate all the wonderful staff of the Red Cross Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital Trust their your tireless efforts.
I wish you all the best in your endeavours.
Thank you.
Source: Department of Health
(http://www.doh.gov.za)
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