The First Surgical Skills Training Centre for Africa

The Children's Hospital Trust is currently fundraising for approximately R10.6million needed to develop a Surgical Skills Training Centre at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital to serve the region as well as the African continent.

There are currently no dedicated endoscopic surgical training centres in sub-Saharan Africa, forcing African specialists and surgeons to travel to Europe or the U.S. to train in endoscopic, or minimally invasive, surgery. A teaching facility of this kind is essential to keep African surgeons up-to-date with global surgical techniques and ensure that patients being treated at the Hospital continue receiving the best possible surgical care.

Karl Storz, a German manufacturer of endoscopic equipment, has pledged approximately R10 million required to equip this facility with the necessary high–tech equipment. Surgeons will use this equipment to master the use of increasingly sophisticated technology and surgical procedures. These skills cannot always be acquired safely in a live surgery setting on patients.

The Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital has an international reputation as a centre for excellence, and is able to deliver paediatric and surgical services equivalent to those found in developed countries. Historically it has played a significant role in assisting other African nations in improving and developing paediatric skills. The Hospital is therefore optimally situated to be a training hub for the rest of the continent.

The new Surgical Skills Training Centre will provide a platform for teaching surgeons and students across the continent and will not only train paediatric surgeons, but surgeons servicing adult patients as well.

By supporting the Trust with this project, you will not only help the thousands of thousands of sick children who undergo surgery each year, but you will impact on paediatric care across Africa.

Cost of building a build the only state-of-the art Surgical Skills Training Centre in sub-Saharan Africa: R10.639 million

Raised or pledged as of 7 April 2010: R1, 462,661.68

For more information about this project please email cht@chtrust.org.za

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