NMCH to partner with Canada's Sick Kids

The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg opened his week. Picture: REUTERS

The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg opened his week. Picture: REUTERS

Published Feb 15, 2017

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Johannesburg – Not only has the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital received a R25 million cash injection but will now work alongside an international children's hospital to boost its operational systems and ensure sick children in the country access and receive world-class paediatric care.

The hospital on Wednesday announced it's partnership with The Hospital For Sick Kids in Canada.

As the largest paediatric academic health sciences centre in the North American country, Sick Kids is popular for providing specialised health care to paediatric patients from the Greater Toronto Area and in most parts of the region.

Speaking at the newly opened hospital in Parktown, Canada's Commissioner to South Africa Sandra McCardell said her country places a high priority on maternal, newborn and child health as well as works hard to strengthen health systems globally.

"This is consistent with Canada’s focus on supporting the poorest and most vulnerable through our development assistance. This is why I am happy to announce Canada’s contribution of $2.5 million (approximately 25 million Rands) over 2 years for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Project, that will help contribute to improved health outcomes for children in South Africa through specialised paediatric care," she said.

McCardell said the funding will support the Hospital for SickKids in providing technical assistance to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH).

This, she said, will help establish and strengthen NMCH's hospital management operations systems, enhance its knowledge and skills so that it can provide excellent child-centered paediatric care for poor and marginalised children.

Sick Kids vice president for international affairs Cathy Seguin said the legacy of former and late South African President Nelson Mandela aligns closely with the vision the Canadian children's hospital has – healthier children and a better world.

NMCH Trust CEO Sibongile Mkhabela welcomed the donor funding saying when a hospital admits a five-year-old it admits a potential future leader and that it is imperative that children are treated in an excellent environment that includes their support structure such as their parents.

New management that will run the hospital has already been elected and the first patient will be admitted in June.

The 200-bed tertiary institution will provide specialised services in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic surgery, haematology and oncology as well as craniofacial surgeries among other things.

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