Press release
Centurion Day Hospital
16 November 2016
Project Open Hearts donates 8 smiles for Christmas
-Centurion Day Hospital gave an early Christmas gift to children.
On Wednesday 16 November 2016, Centurion Day Hospital has made its theaters and facilities available for the second time this year to accommodate needy patients in desperate need of dental day procedures. Seven of the eight children that benefited from this project in November come from a community organisation in Pretoria, Smile of Joy, who assists HIV positive orphans and vulnerable with dental procedures. According to Mrs Elmarie Marais, General Manager of Centurion Day Hospital, Project Open Hearts aims to give back to the public by showing the open hands and harts of the medical community and thereby changing lives.
“Smile of Joy HIV Orphans Oral Care is very grateful to Centurion Day Hospital for the free treatment of 7 more of our children”, said Amori Booysen, Smile of Joy Project Manager. “These children in need of procedures, each consisting of the removal of at least 5 teeth, received a real Christmas gift from the hospital. These procedures would otherwise not have been possible in 2016. The kids really experienced a lot of pain and discomfort before the procedures, but with this gift they will have a painless Christmas. The hospital and staff gave each child a reason to smile!”. Centurion Day Hospital made this a memorable experience for the patients with gift bags, balloons, snacks and a delicious lunch for sore throats and empty tummies after the procedure. “Surgery can be a very stressful experience, but our children friendly facility and staff will make sure everybody will have a positive hospital experience”, said Marais.
Centurion Day Hospital launched Project Open Hearts in September and performed 11 procedures free of charge of which 8 children were from Smile of Joy HIV Orphans Oral Care. The procedures formed part of National Dental Health Month together with the Pretoria branch of SADA (South African Dental Association). Through this project, Centurion Day Hospital offer their theatres and ward facilities and contribute the anaesthetics and medicine for recovery. The children had to undergo dental procedures in hospital under anaesthetics because it would be too traumatic to have it done in a dental chair. Together with the procedures done in September, it brings the total number of smiles changed this year to 19. “With the rising cost in medical aid and increasingly more people struggling to afford much needed procedures, we hope to change many more lives in 2017!”, said Marais.
Centurion Day Hospital opened the doors of their new facility earlier this year and is excited about the opportunity to bring services to the heart of Centurion where there is a need for day procedure facilities. Worldwide up to 60% of surgical procedures can be done in a day hospital where the costs is much lower than in an acute hospital. A day hospital is a hospital where smaller day procedures are executed and patients don’t stay overnight. Some of the procedures include dental surgery, certain surgical procedures, ear, nose and throat procedures, gynaecology, maxillofacial & oral surgery, cosmetic surgery, orthopaedic surgery and endoscopic procedures carried out by specialists.
Mediaverklaring
Centurion Day Hospital
16 November 2016
Project Open Hearts skenk 8 glimlagte vir Kersfees
– Centurion Day Hospital gee vroeë kersgeskenk vir kinders.
Op Woensdag 16 November 2016, het Centurion Day Hospital die tweede keer die jaar hul teaters en fasiliteite gratis aangebied om behoeftige pasiënte wat tandheelkundige prosedures benodig, te laat opereer. Sewe van die agt kinders wat in November hierby gebaat het, is verbonde aan ‘n gemeenskapsorganisasie in Pretoria, Smile of Joy, wat tandheelkundige hulp aan behoeftige HIV wees-en-kwesbare kinders bied. Volgens Mev Elmarie Marais, Algemene Bestuurder van Centurion Day Hospital, vorm die gratis prosedures deel van die hospitaal se gemeenskapsprojek, Project Open Hearts wat ten doel het om terug te gee aan die publiek deur die oop hande en harte van die mediese gemeenskap te wys en daardeur lewens te verander.
“Smile of Joy HIV Orphans Oral Care is hartlik dankbaar vir die kostevrye behandeling van nog 8 van ons kinders deur Centurion Dag Hospitaal”, sê Amori Booysen, Smile of Joy se Projekbestuurder. “Hierdie kindertjies wat teater behandeling benodig, dit behels ‘n minimum van 5 tande wat getrek moet word, het ‘n ware kersgeskenk van die hospitaal ontvang. Die prosedures sou andersins nie in 2016 moontlik gewees het nie. Die kinders het erge pyn en ongemak ervaar voor die prosedures en nou gaan hulle ‘n pynlose Kersfees beleef. Die hospitaal en personeel het elke kindjie ‘n rede gegee om te glimlag! ” Die Centurion Day Hospital het die dag ‘n baie aangename ondervinding vir die klein pasiëntjies gemaak met geskenkpakkies, ballonne, lekker happies en ‘n heerlike ete vir die seer kele en honger magies na die tyd. “Chirurgie kan baie spanningsvol wees, maar ons kindervriendelike fasiliteite en personeel verseker dat almal ‘n positiewe hospitaal ervaring het”, volgens Marais.
Centurion Day Hospital het met Project Open Hearts afgeskop in September en 11 prosedures gratis gedoen tydens Mondgesondheidsmaand in samewerking met die Pretoria tak van SADA (South African Dental Association), waarvan 8 kinders van Smile of Joy HIV Orphans Oral Care was. Deur die projek, bied Centurion Day Hospital die teater en saal fasiliteite aan, asook die medikasie nodig vir herstel en narkose. Die kinders se tandheelkundige prosedures moes onder narkose gedoen word omdat dit vir hulle te traumaties sou wees om die prosedures in die tandarts stoel te ondergaan. Saam met die prosedures in September bring dit die totaal op 19 glimlagte wat verewig verander is. “Met die stygende koste in mediese fondse en toenemend meer mense wat sukkel om nodige prosedures te kan bekostig, hoop ons nog om vele meer lewens te verander in 2017”, volgens Marais.
Centurion Day Hospital het vroeër vanjaar in Mei die deure van hulle nuwe fasiliteite geopen en is baie dankbaar vir die geleentheid om in die hart van Centurion meer pasiënte te kan raak wat behoefte het aan fasiliteite vir dagprosedures. Wêreldwyd kan meer as 60% van chirurgiese prosedures in daghospitale uitgevoer word waar kostes heelwat laer is as in akute hospitale. ‘n Daghospitaal is ‘n hospitaal waar kleiner dagprosedures uitgevoer word en pasiënte nie in die hospitaal oornag nie. Van die prosedures wat geakkommodeer word, is tandheelkundige prosedures, oor, neus en keel prosedures, ginekologiese prosedures, kosmetiese chirurgie, ortopediese chirurgie, endoskopiese prosedures, mond-en-kaak chirurgie en nog vele meer.
