New trauma unit to improve service delivery at Baragwanath

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Johannesburg - A new Accident and Emergency Trauma Unit will soon open at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to help reduce pressure on the existing emergency unit and to improve service delivery.
Tabling the Department of Health and Social Development Budget Vote on Monday, Gauteng MEC Qedani Mahlangu said currently the hospital sees over 420 patients per day at its Accident and Emergency Unit, while 65 percent of these are trauma cases.
She said the new trauma unit, which will have support services such as cleaning, porters and patient attire, will help reduce the strain on the existing emergency unit.
The MEC said the unit is almost complete and should open soon. "The Accident and Emergency and Trauma Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is almost complete, and will be opened around August this year," she said.
According to the MEC, the department will also commence on upgrading of the JC Dumani Community Health Centre in Vosloorus, while additional consulting rooms will be built at the Esangweni Community Health, in Tembisa. 
The new Mamelodi Hospital which is almost complete, Ms Mahlangu said, will be ready for an official opening by the end of September. 
The specialised MDR and XDR wards at the Sizwe Hospital are also complete, the MEC said, adding that the wards have 46 seclusion beds, which will provide isolation and appropriate clinical care to patients. 
Towards the end of August, the department will host an Imbizo for nurses, which will deliberate on measures that will be taken to re-introduce the caring ethos that historically nurses have been admired for. 
"We will ensure that in Gauteng nurses get back to basics in line with the Florence Nightingale pledge; with bed to bed ward rounds and hand-over's; where the sister in charge is accountable for supplies, and equipment; and where no nurse will turn off machines just so they can get some sleep.
"Nurses will be empowered to be advocates for patients. We will phase in ward assistants to free up nurses to focus on clinical nursing care," the MEC said.