Mowbray Maternity Hospital Receives Equipment Worth R500 000

Mowbray Maternity Hospital, through the Peninsula Maternity Trust, received a phototherapy light unit and an ultrasound/echocardiogram machine for the hospital’s Neonatal Unit, purchased by the Old Mutual Investment Group South Africa (OMIGSA) and the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (established by Old Mutual Unit Trusts, Albaraka Bank and Channel Islam International).

The two machines, valued at just under R500 000, were purchased and installed in the hospital’s Neonatal Unit and officially handed over to the hospital today. Registered in 2006, the Peninsula Maternity Trust functions as Mowbray Maternity Hospital’s fundraising entity. The hospital launched its centenary campaign in November 2011 and, through the Trust, increased its efforts to achieve the greater funding targets of the campaign in time for the hospital’s 100 Year Celebrations in 2016.

The ultrasound/echocardiogram machine and the phototherapy light unit are the first major investments of the Peninsula Maternity Trust’s Centenary fundraising campaign.

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, says, “On behalf of Western Cape Government, thank you to the donors for this generous donation. The provincial health coffers simply do not have the budget to cover for the extensive health needs required, and the participation of the private sector here at Mowbray Maternity Hospital is greatly appreciated.”

The ultrasound/echocardiogram machine is a combination machine used in a neonatal unit to examine the heart and the head of a baby. Echocardiography and brain ultrasound diagnosis is used when there is bleeding on the brain or to assist in the diagnosis of drowsy or comatose infants, as well as infants with suspected congenital heart disease. The new machine replaces an extremely old, defective machine, which could no longer provide Cardiologists and Neonatologists with reliable information crucial to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Approximately 200 critically ill babies a month will benefit from the diagnostic information provided by this machine. The machine was purchased for Mowbray Maternity Hospital by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust.

Shabir Chohan, CEO of Albaraka Bank, explained: “The South African Muslim Charitable Trust was established to assist in projects that benefit people irrespective of race or religion; projects which relate to poverty alleviation, empowerment, community upliftment, health care, education as well as sustainability programmes. We are delighted to further support health care through our involvement with Mowbray Maternity. This hospital is regarded by health practitioners as being the premier public service provider of Neonatal and Obstetric services in the country.”

A phototherapy light unit, purchased by OMIGSA, is used in the treatment of jaundice. Jaundice affects both full-term and premature babies when there is a build up of a natural substance in the blood (bilirubin) because the liver is immature, or due to a blood group incompatibility. High levels of bilirubin can be dangerous to a baby. The light is used for a few days to help the baby’s body process the bilirubin, until the liver is mature enough to handle the bilirubin on its own. One of the campaign’s goals is to replace ten of the existing phototherapy light units in the Neonatal Unit with new LED units that have a longer lifespan (approximately 20 000 hours of light). Phototherapy light units are used every day in the Neonatal Unit. Approximately ten babies a month benefit from one machine. The first replacement phototherapy light unit was purchased by Green Hands – OMIGSA’s corporate responsibility initiative which focuses on education, sport and sustainability.

Minister Botha says: “Many Capetonians are bonded to this hospital in a special way, and it is my understanding that the funding for the centenary campaign for 2016 is on track and that people are generous in their contributions. For that I am very grateful. I want to encourage businesses to support the hospital’s fundraising entity, Peninsula Maternity Trust.”

Mowbray Maternity Hospital: Established in 1916, Mowbray Maternity Hospital celebrated its 95th year of operation in 2011. There are approximately 38 000 births annually in the Metropole West Region of the Western Cape; 10 500 of these births occur at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. Mowbray Maternity Hospital is the largest dedicated maternity hospital in South Africa. It is regarded by healthcare professionals and users of the service as being the premier public service provider of Neonatal and Obstetric services in South Africa. The hospital offers subsidised healthcare to pregnant mothers and their new-born infants. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of patients admitted to the hospital have no access to private healthcare; specialised maternity care is therefore made available to a predominantly disadvantaged group of mothers from a broad spectrum of the community.