Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital has broken ground

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: Wesley Ford wesley.ford@acm.co.za
• Publication title: Southern Mail

Hospital staff and project donors were among the 50 people at a sod-turning ceremony at the hospital on Wednesday April 17

The new 30-bed unit will have four isolation rooms, physiotherapy facilities, a waiting area and upgraded surgery theatres, according to Children’s Hospital Trust CEO Chantel Cooper.

“Our goal is to have this orthopaedic unit completed in a year’s time,” she said.

Hospital CEO Dr Anita Parbhoo said the unit would consolidate all the hospital’s orthopaedic services at the hospital.

Previously, only emergency orthopaedic procedures had been done at Red Cross while rehabilitative and more minor surgical procedures had been done at the Maitland Cottage Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital, she said.

This new unit is expected to benefit more than 1 400 clubfoot patients and do 1 000 surgeries annually, according to Ms Cooper.

Josh Rinkwest, 14, of Lotus River, is just one of the patients who have benefited from the children’s orthopaedic services.

Josh was born prematurely at 27 weeks old, and five days after his birth, he had to have his right leg amputated at Vincent Palotti hospital.

Josh’s mother, René Rinkwest, said the umbilical cord had been wrapped around his leg, cutting off circulation and preventing the development of his leg.

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