Just a heartbeat away from Umhlanga is a medical team making history and saving lives
Broken your ankle falling off a ladder? Got a child with appendicitis? Planning your baby’s birth? For all of these, you’ll find the top quality care you need at the privately-owned eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre in Riverhorse Valley.
But it’s when you’re needing a heart, lung or kidney transplant, that you’ll be even happier to have this excellent medical institution on your doorstep. Because this is the leading transplant hospital in the province.
Opened in 2008 as a high-technology general hospital specialising in advanced cardiac and laparoscopic surgery, maternity, gynaecology and paediatrics, and with a fully-fledged 24-hour emergency trauma unit, eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre has quickly developed a reputation as a leader in the transplant field.
In fact, said General Manager Niresh Bechan, “We’re the only hospital in South Africa that does heart-lung transplants.” Since opening, its specialists – under the leadership of top South African transplant surgeon Robbie Kleinloog – had performed three heart and lung, and 12 heart transplants, as well as one single lung transplant.
The intricate and advanced surgery on their first renal transplant patients, Devendren and Raveena Naidu in February this year, was a historic and successful achievement, he added.
“We had always been recognised and acknowledged as a centre of excellence, but after months of planning on the renal transplant project, and then the surgery itself, our hugely respected and experienced medical team notched up our reputation even further.”
Cindy Goldie, heart and lung transplant co-ordinator, said: “We pride ourselves on giving patients our very best. For the transplant of the kidney from Raveena Naidu to her husband Devendren, we used two theatres and two full surgical teams. They received highly specialised nursing care and post-clinic treatment before going home. But our support doesn’t end there. We do home visits and follow-ups via our transplant and renal co-ordinator Belinda Moolman.”
Said Moolman: “We don’t leave you alone once you leave hospital: we have a committed lifelong programme for these patients. There is ongoing support for life.”
Goldie also heads up the transplant unit’s support group meetings. There, future patients and post-op patients get together to support one another. “They’re like a close knit family,” she added.
Bechan said the hospital’s reputation for excellence had been the catalyst for a R50-million expansion, with additional beds and consulting rooms for various medical specialists. “Building will start within the month,” he said. “We’re just waiting for the final tick of approval from the health department and municipality.”
For more information on eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre, visit www.ehhc.co.za or phone 031 581 4200
To become an organ donor, visit the Organ Donor Foundation at www.odf.co.za or log on to www.satsa.co.za