Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital: Key Achievements

Picture courtesy of Mike Wesson Photos

1. Service Delivery
2. Capital Developments

The achievements over the years have been legendary and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital has enjoyed a number of "firsts" in the health field.

Pioneers in South African Paediatric Care:

• 1959 - the first open heart surgery on a child
• 1964 - the first hospital to separate conjoined twins
• 1968 - the first renal transplant on a child
• 1969 - the first children's cancer service
• 1971 - the first paediatric Poison Information Service
• 1978 - the establishment of the first Child Accident Prevention Foundation (Childsafe)
• 1979 - the first and only paediatric neurosurgery department
• 1981 - the first lumbrosacral selective rhizotomy for spasticity
• 1984 - the first dedicated paediatric trauma unit
• 1990 - the first child heart transplant
• 1991 - the first and only paediatric liver transplant programme
• 1997 - the first double transplant on a child (liver and kidney)
• 2001 - the first autologous epithelial autograft on a burn patient
• 2002 - the first living related liver transplant
• 2002 - the first and only 'bench surgery' for bilateral kidney tumours in a child
• 2011 - the first and only Surgical Skills Training Centre
• 2011 - the first and only paediatric Burns Unit
• 2015 - the first time that laser-assisted neuro-endoscopy is performed in South Africa
• 2015 - the first non-heart beating donor transplant is done at the hospital

• 1998 - Staff Education Centre
• 1998 - iKhaya Larotary - accommodation for parents
• 2000 - New Outpatient Department
• 2001 - Integrated ICU
• 2003 - Ward E2
• 2004 - Trauma and Emergency Unit
• 2004 - Dermatology clinic
• 2005 - Hospital Sanctuary
• 2005 - Ward G1 (Oncology)
• 2006 - Helipad
• 2006 - Main pharmacy redesign and upgrade
• 2006 - Ward E1
• 2008 - MRI Building Works
• 2008 - Clinical engineering department
• 2008 - Pola Pasvolsky Lecture Theatre Upgrade
• 2008 - Family Resource Centre
• 2009 - Infectious disease and diabetes clinic
• 2009 - Radiology department
• 2009 - Operating theatre complex
• 2009 - The refurbishment of the Lecture Theatre, digitally linked to the new Operating Theatre Complex
• 2010 - Ward D1
• 2011 - Surgical Skills Training Centre
• 2011 - paediatric Burns Unit (Ward C2)
• 2012 - Ward B1
• 2013 - Ward B2
• 2013 - Centre for Childhood Infectious Diseases
• 2014 - Woolworths Childsafe Research and Educational Centre
• 2015 - Upgrade and expansion of Parents' Accommodation
• 2015 - Medical Imaging Department 

• 1998 - CAT scanner (R3.0 million)
• 2000 - Gamma Camera (R3.2 million)
• 2001 - Cardiac Catheterisation laboratory (R8.5 million)
• 2002 - Video Telemetry for neurology
• 2004 - Digital X-Ray Equipment (R3.8million)
• 2004 - Installation of Lodox machine
• 2008 - MRI Equipment (R12.7million)
• 2009 - New CT scanner (R14million)