BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

TSHEPONG Hospital Provincial Burns Unit now provides holistic burns patients’ treatment and clinical support. The move is to ensure that family involvement in their care within the province. This was a clinical approach to treatment and management of burns.

According to Matron Pontsho Sepato, Operational Manager in Burns unit at the hospital, the outreach comes amid high number of burns admissions during winter.

Sepato said they experience more burns during winter season. She said this year alone, 67 patients were admitted as compared to last year where 73 patients were admitted.

“This shows that the remarkable reduction in terms of burns prevention which can be attributed to our aggressive Burns outreaches of the 67 admissions of 21 (children), 19 (females) and 27 (Males adults). The main cause for this burns are open flame, water followed by electricity. Candle Light, Heating and cooking equipment are the number one cause of home fire injuries/burns,” she said.

Sepato said some of those who were admitted had the degree and extent of burns seen ranges from Superficial to Full Thickness.

“We are proud to announce that despite the fact that this is a high risk unit, there were no infection   outbreaks, patients from 40-63% with deep partial to full thickness burns walked out of the ward alive,” she said.

According to Sepato, now patients spend almost 18 days at the centre compared to previous length of 24 days. She highlighted that the unit is doing exceptionally well in terms of Clinical treatment and advance material used such as Biobrane.

A 36 year-old man, Josiah Motlhanke from Rustenburg who was admitted at the hospital a month ago (6 July 2015) said:  “I was at my neighbour’s house enjoying myself by drinking few beers. I was freezing and decided to go to my place and sat next to a stove heater to warm myself. I did not realize that I caught fire. I went outside and try to extinguish the fire on my leg. I screamed for help, and people came to my rescue,” said Josiah. He advised people to take serious precautionary measure regarding fire, and more especially when they are under the influence of alcohol.

Sepato said as part of outreach programme, the Burns Unit recently hosted its annual clinical Burns symposium to share with other health professionals the best practices in burns clinical interventions on first contact and the discharged of burns patients to avoid the long after effect of the burns. “This has helped a lot to ensure proper referral pattern for burned patients from clinics and district hospitals in the province, and adherence to guidelines and protocol for treatment and management of burned patients which drastically reduced the unnecessary deformities and dependents,” she said.

Sepato said: “The symposium indeed helped minimized burned patients transferred unnecessarily to the unit as they can be managed across the province.”

-TDN

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