Palliative care is not a recognised speciality in SA. We are providing this much needed service to children within State Hospitals in KZN - the only organisation doing so. Through our work children with life-limiting & life-threatening illnesses receive pain & symptom control, psycho-social support and where death is inevitable death with dignity, pain-free. Through your donation we would be able to employ more professional staff & thus ensure that more children receive this invaluable service.
Although palliative care improves quality of life of patients, it is not a recognised discipline or medical specialty in South Africa as it is on other parts of the world. Relatively few patients have access to this kind of care in hospitals. According to research 20% of children in South Africa have a chronic illness of which 5% require some form of palliative care. Therefore in KwaZulu-Natal, 851 000 children have a chronic illness and of these 42 550 require some form of palliation
Umduduzi provides advice on the control of pain & other symptoms, teaching & training of health care professionals, compassionate care for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, counselling for children & families, home visits & assessments and support through bereavement. Umduduzi treats these children as people, not just as patients, and seeks to ensure they receive the best possible care and comfort. Where death is inevitable we ensure that this is dignified & pain free
The long-term effects are difficult to quantify but through our work children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses will not be in pain, their symptoms will be managed and they and their families will receive psycho-social support. These families will be prepared for the death of their child and will be empowered to make decisions about their end of life care. Support will continue after death. Through employing another staff member 50 more children & their families will receive help
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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