First paediatric burns unit opened in Cape Winelands
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness in collaboration with The Children’s Hospital Trust and partner organisations, brought the world-class burns care provided at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital into the Cape Winelands, and officially launched the first Burns Unit at Ceres Hospital today, Thursday 31 July 2025. This means quicker care closer to home, having a profoundly positive impact on patients and their families. The Trust invested a total of R18 million to establish the Burns Units at Ceres Hospital, the Worcester Hospital, and Worcester Community Day Centre.
The project was 100% donor-funded and included the construction of the units, the purchase of medical equipment, and specialist burns training for nurses and allied medical professionals who will provide treatment. Besides training provided to healthcare workers at the mentioned facilities, training was provided to healthcare workers across the healthcare platform in the Cape Winelands area, ensuring timely, high-quality burns care to children closer to home.
Currently, the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is the only dedicated paediatric burns service in the Western Cape. Each year, 1 000 children are treated as inpatients, and between 4 000 and 5 000 receive outpatient care. After initially receiving emergency and follow-on care at local clinics and hospitals, children with burn wounds may need referral to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital for specialised care. This places considerable financial stress on families in addition to the already stressful nature of the injury. A delay in specialist care also puts these children at risk of infection and impedes healing. But these locally established Burns Units will make life more convenient for our communities accessing care. At the opening of the one-bed unit, the mother of a young girl from the Witzenberg area reflected on the emotional and financial burden they experienced when her daughter sustained burn wounds. Initially her daughter was treated at Ceres Hospital and later transferred to RCWMCH. After eventually returning home, they had to return to RCWMCH when follow-up care was needed. A trip from Ceres to Cape Town came to R 1 400, whereas a trip from the farm they live on in the Ceres area to a local facility providing burns care, cost only R17. She thanked staff at Ceres Hospital for the care her daughter got locally, as well as staff at RCWMCH for their expertise, and says she is elated that this service is closer to home.
Western Cape Minister for Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger said: “This new Burns Unit in Ceres is bringing life-saving care closer to rural communities and ensuring that children can receive specialised support, without having to travel far away from home and family. Together we are building a healthier Western Cape for children.” She further said: "This project is a powerful example of what we can achieve when government and civil society come together with a shared purpose. These partnerships are not just valuable, they are essential in helping us reach more communities, respond to real needs, and build a more responsive and compassionate healthcare system."
Local staff members also expressed their excitement about the impact that the new unit would have on their community.
Ceres Hospital Medical Manager, Dr Elton Titus, said, “The Burns Unit, a one-bed facility, is a welcome addition to healthcare in the Witzenberg. With the unit and the training offered as part of the bigger project, we’ve established a platform for improved care to patients with burn wounds, offered by a multidisciplinary team.” Family Physician Dr Jani Fouché agrees. “This unit is dedicated to burns cases and will be used for this sole purpose. Wonderful new equipment, like a wash bay, ventilator and point-of-care ultrasound, adds diagnostic and therapeutic value,” said Fouché. “The staff is excited to bring better care to burn cases in rural areas, especially in the initial phases of treatment.”
