Click here to listen to the mp3 advert for The Salvation Army's anti-human trafficking message

Click here to watch the footage taken by News24 at the Long Walk for Rhino's Mandela Day initiative at Robben Island School. (QVC donated Media Liaison to this initiative as part of its Mandela Day initiatives)

 Quo Vadis Communications on a field trip to KwaZulu Natal for client, Siyazisiza Trust.

Victoria Makalima, assistant Director for the Johnson and Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (left) and Roger Crawford, Executive Director, Worldwide Government Affairs and Policy for Johnson & Johnson (back right) happily assisted Nurse Ester Manson and clinical officer William Kalua from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi throughout their two-week specialised training session at the Burn Treatment Centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The training took place as a result of a public private partnership between the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of North Carolina in USA. The hospital in Malawi recently opened a burn unit and the hands-on training Ester and William received at the leading burn treatment centre in Africa, will no doubt make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.

Released: 28 October 2011

Burn treatment and management received a boost today as two additional intensive care units were opened at the Johnson & Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (JJBTC) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto which is commemorating 21 years of burn care and management.

In recognition of the 21 years of multidisciplinary burn care and management, training and skills transfer work that occurs in the Centre a commemorative burns surgical skill workshop was held in association with the South African Burn Society. 

During the workshop burn specialists Emeritus Professor Heinz Rode from the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Dr Adelin Muganza Director at the JJBTC performed surgery which was streamed live from theater. Internationally recognised and award winning Dr Elbie van der Merwe gave an academic talk on new developments in burn management.                  

In handing over the new units, Johnson & Johnson’s Executive Director: Government Affairs and Policy Mr Roger Crawford, said their 21 year partnership with Baragwanath Academic hospital is based on Johnson & Johnson’s structured three pillar approach to CSI which focuses on saving and improving lives, building health care capacity, preventing diseases and reducing stigma.

“This burn treatment centre was the only one of its kind in Africa when it opened 21 years ago. Our vision of making life changing and long term difference in human health continues to be realised through this partnership and the hard work and dedication of the multidisciplinary specialists who make this centre a success story it is today,” said Mr Crawford.

Deaths caused by fire injuries claim 300 000 lives worldwide every year. Locally, the National Injury Mortality Profile for South Africa 2008 Report says that burns are one of the leading causes of non-natural deaths in infants and children under five years.

Burn management requires a multidisciplinary team of specialists of nurses, specialist doctors and surgeons, physical therapists and dieticians to work together within set goals focused on rehabilitation.

Burn rehabilitation also concentrates on wound excision, temporal skin replacement, and reconstruction of small but complex areas such as face and hands and, permanent wound closure on previously temporarily closed wounds.

Dr Adelin Munganza, resident surgeon at the Johnson & Johnson BTC, says that having specialists and a dedicated burn unit ensures minimal risk of infection which reduces the number of deaths.

Another goal of burn rehabilitation is to minimise the loss of range of movement in patients. Physiotherapists work together with occupational therapists doing exercises that focus on increasing and strengthening the range of movement in preparation for everyday life at work or play.

“Most burn wound patients develop contractures because muscles that do not work become lazy, inflexible and short. We work with patients as soon as possible, making sure they move muscles even though they are still bedridden,” Samke Nkosi, physiotherapist at the centre, explains.

Michael Stevens, a burn survivor and past patient at the centre, can attest to the value of the exercises. He was electrocuted by a power line in an accident that left him with 75 per cent burns and cost him both his legs.

“The exercises and extremely uncomfortable positions helped to maintain full range of motion after the wounds healed. Today I have better flexibility than people who have never had injuries”, says Michael a talented rower with dreams of taking part in the next paralympics.

Physical disfigurement, especially in the face, amputation of limbs and other limitations can put a patient who is already going through post traumatic stress into depression. Medication and individual counselling may be necessary in patients who become severely depressed.

The nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists work together to prepare the patient for their eventual discharge into the community with the ability to resume their pre-injury activities.

“We measure the success of burn injury management by the successful assimilation of the patient into the community after injury. If we accomplish that, I say we have achieved our goal,” says Victoria Makhalima, Assistant Director of the Centre.       

Last changed: Oct 28 2011 at 3:48 PM