Paediatric Cardiology Unit
Paediatric Oncology Unit
Paediatric Neurodevelopment Unit
General Paediatrics UAH Unit
Paediatric Critical Care Unit
Neonatology Unit
BCIC Occupational Therapy Unit
FS MACAH Project
Make the first 1000 days count Project
EMBRACE Project
Mortality & Morbidity Project
Overview
The University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Paediatrics and Child Health promotes optimal child health, growth and development through comprehensive medical services to our patients, educating and training all healthcare workers and promoting relevant research to improve healthcare outcomes.
There are six specialised units under the leadership of professionals who are experts in their fields. The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health flourish under the leadership of Dr. N E Tabane and is one of the biggest departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences with consultants, registrars and support staff.
Paediatric Cardio Rural Outreach
Autism Support Centre
CHOC
Kids Diabetes Camp Bloemfontein
The following are Clinical Units at Universitas (UAH) and Pelonomi(PAH) Hospitals:
- Critical Care/ICU (UAH / PAH)
- Developmental Paediatrics
- General Paediatrics (UAH)
- General Paediatrics (PAH)
- Neonatology (UAH / PAH)
- Paediatri Cardiology (UAH)
- Paediatric Oncology
- Research/HIV Centre
Universitas Tertiary Hospital
Our Purpose
The Universitas Paediatric Critical Care Unit is a five-bedded paediatric intensive care unit that provides tertiary quarternary level critical care services to seriously ill and injured children within Universitas Academic Hospital. This Unit provides services to the whole Free State with referrals from the Northern Cape and Lesotho. Services include intensive nursing care, advanced monitoring, life-supporting therapies (such as cardiovascular support, mechanical ventilation and peritoneal dialysis), diagnostics (including point of care ultrasonography) and specific treatment of underlying conditions. The intensive care unit is also an essential support structure for specialised surgical disciplines like complex paediatric surgery neurosurgery; anaesthesiology and specialised paediatric services like Oncology and Paediatric Cardiology. We attend to approximate 200-250 children per year.
Undergraduate programme
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for training undergraduate medical students during the clinical phase. The department is passionate about educating our future doctors and prides itself on maintaining excellent standards of teaching.
The programme's focus is to ensure that students attain the outcomes expected of a UFS medical school graduate: specifically, to be competent to examine, diagnose and treat neonates and children as a medical intern. In the 3rd year, students receive a series of lectures that form the foundation of their knowledge of paediatrics. In both the 4th and 5th year, students spend six weeks in paediatrics following a structured programme that includes clinical work and lectures.
Students rotate through the various wards and clinics at Pelonomi and Universitas hospitals during each six-week clinical block. Here, they gain clinical exposure and learn to integrate practical and theoretical knowledge. Students are expected to be part of the team and are given supervised duties in the wards, including after-hours calls. Emphasis is placed on the most common and dangerous paediatrics conditions to ensure students are prepared to manage the burden of disease in the South African context.
At the end of each 6-week block, students are assessed on theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to ensure they have achieved the required competencies to manage paediatric patients safely.
Vision
Successfully mobilizing resources to facilitate world-class paediatric and child health care delivery in Central South Africa.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health is to promote optimal child health, growth and development within the ambit of the Academic Health Centre.
- Delivering outstanding medical services, preventing disease and promoting child health through a comprehensive approach.
- Educating and training all categories of health care workers.
- Advocating the rights of children.
- Promoting paediatric research.