PICU Upgrade and expansion: Project overview 2016
May 25, 2016 | By Toni Calliva
The four phase upgrade and extension of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH) in Cape Town, South Africa is well underway.
The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town is one of the leading children’s hospitals in the world and the largest stand-alone paediatric hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. It is dedicated entirely to child health care and is renowned for its treatment, research and training programmes.
The majority of the hospital’s patients are from exceptionally poor and marginalised communities in the Western Cape and one third of patients are younger than one year old.
Its Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) deals with complex cases on a daily basis, including cardiac (250-300 cases per year), neonatal surgery (on the smallest of children, weighing only 700grams), neurosurgery, trauma and burns (50-60 per annum), tracheostomies and respiratory and neurological conditions.
WHY THE NEED
Having a child in ICU is an overwhelmingly frightening experience for any family. Creating the most conducive environment, to the highest possible global standard, is therefore of paramount importance.
The PICU is chronically under-resourced and in desperate need of further investment. With over 1.7 million children in the Western Cape, the number of cases referred to the hospital has increased dramatically in the last decade, as has the corresponding number and complexity of paediatric intensive care cases. Currently, there are only 35 paediatric intensive care beds, within the Western Cape. The current PICU at the Hospital has 22 of those beds with close to 100% occupancy.
The demand for a bed has reached a point where at least 50 children a year have had their scheduled surgeries cancelled as a result of the shortage of space.
In addition to the evident shortage of beds, the restricted space in the current PICU has caused a number of vital concerns for the clinical team.
• The current space between the beds is well below the accepted norm. Close proximity of the patients makes it difficult for the clinical team to manage cross infections between critically ill patients. The current PICU does not include isolation wards. Clinicians therefore cannot make any provision for patients who have compromised immune systems or who are contagious and carrying new germs, which can endanger medical staff and other patients.
• Inadequate space for vigilant families wanting to stay at their child’s bedside.
• Inadequate space for storage of equipment making it difficult for Clinical Technologists to repair specialised equipment.
PROJECT DETAILS
The upgrade and extension is part of a four phase re-construction plan taking place over two and a half years.
The PICU upgrade includes high care neonatal facilities, eight isolation units, and spacious areas for staff to change, shower and rest. Additionally, storage space for specialized equipment, storage and workshop space for clinical technologists, adequate space and facilities for the patients’ families, as well as offices for clinical and research staff.
This will help alleviate the strains the hospital is under while providing life-saving care to children from the Western Cape and further afield.
The phases and project details are illustrated clearly in the below images.
HOSPITAL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION PHASE OVERVIEW.
3D AERIAL VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT – BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.
3D external aerial view of the hospital project at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, BEFORE construction.
PICU FLOORPLAN.
The section outlined in red denotes the proposed Quercus Foundation Surgical Wing at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
PICU FLOORPLAN At present, all services provided by the PICU are based out of Wing C3. The PICU upgrade and extension will expand its services across four wings as shown here.
3D AERIAL VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT: CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY.
Aerial view of the PICU expansion project at the start of construction 2015.
3D AERIAL VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT: REFLECTING NEW AND REDEVELOPED SECTIONS.
3D AERIAL VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT An aerial internal and external 3d view of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town. The colours denote new and redeveloped sections of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The section outlined in red denotes the proposed Quercus Foundation Surgical Wing at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. The Wing is expected to be completed and operational by December 2017.
3D AERIAL VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT: REFLECTING NEW AND REDEVELOPED SECTIONS.
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3D aerial external image of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital on completion of the PICU expansion project, which is due for completion December 2017. This image illustrates the additional floor space added to the building.
Quercus Foundation, believes in identifying and investing in projects that will make the most significant improvement to the lives of children in the long term.
Last year, with the incredible support of our donors we were able to raise £600K towards the upgrade and expansion of the PICU. With your help we continue to work towards raising the remaining £1.2million to upgrade its Surgical Wing by 2017.
