A new paediatric oncology clinic that was launched at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto is set to make a major contribution towards fighting rare blood-related conditions and cancers among children in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Head of oncology at the hospital, Prof Gita Naidu, said nearly half of the children with cancer in the country were not being diagnosed because people were unaware of the early signs of the disease.
Naidu said the Zakithi Paediatric Oncology Clinic in Diepkloof would not only help train experts and treat patients but would help raise awareness so people can detect cancer in their children early and bring them in for treatment.
She said the hospital’s oncology unit services 650 children a month with referrals from all countries across the SADC region.
Between 800 and 1,000 children in SA are diagnosed with the disease every year, according to the head of advocacy for the Cancer Association of SA (Cansa).
The unit will provide haematology services covering the entire spectrum of anaemias, bleeding disorders, thrombosis and malignant haematology, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
The clinic has 10 consultation cubicles, which is an upgrade from the previous four rooms. It also has procedure rooms with a team of five specialists. “We can now treat our patients while giving them comfort and dignity,” Naidu said.
The clinic is the second unit to be built at the hospital in memory of the late Zakithi “Zaza” Nkosi, who is the daughter of mining mogul Daphne Mashile-Nkosi.
Zakithi died at the age of 19 from a rare blood condition called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which is a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome.
The paediatric clinic is an addition to the Zakithi Nkosi Clinical Haematology Centre of Excellence, which was opened in 2019.
The R110m state-of-the-art facility was built through a partnership between the hospital, The Stan and Daphne Nkosi Foundation, Exxaro Resources and Traxys Africa.
According to the Childhood Cancer Foundation of SA, some warning signs of childhood cancer include sudden blindness, aching bones or joints, weight loss, pale appearance and easy bruising.
Spokesperson for the national health of department Foster Mohale said this unit would help in alleviating backlogs related to oncology procedures.
Mohale said the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital was key in terms of developing specialists and taking referrals from rural provinces like Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
Cansa's Zodwa Sithole said having another oncology department will assist in improving access to cancer treatment, making it more accessible to many patients and their families who depend on public health facilities.
“It will further assist in training more doctors and nurses in oncology,” Sithole said.
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