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Educating communities on burn injuries during winter months

08 May 2025 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

Nosicelo Madushana, a third-year medical student at the UFS, was four years old when she sustained third-degree burn wounds on 70% of her body.

With winter fast approaching, healthcare professionals in the Free State are gearing up for an increase in burn injuries during these cold months. Many of these injuries are preventable, and doctors and medical staff believe educating communities about common preventive practices can help keep them safe.

Dr Hilge du Preez, Paediatric Surgeon from the University of the Free State (UFS), says they observe an increase in burn injuries, which can be devastating, causing serious bodily harm, long-term disability, and even death, during the winter months.

“As healthcare professionals, we do all we can to help burn injury patients recover and regain their health and activity. However, as with many other conditions, the best treatment for a burn injury is prevention. Thermal burns are the most common type of burn we see. These are caused by contact with hot substances or fluids, such as flames or boiling water. Children and adults sustain burn injuries in different ways.

“While children can suffer burns from flames, they are more likely to burn themselves by spilling hot liquids or food. We also see cases where children accidentally fall into a tub of hot water that is being prepared for a bath,” says Dr Du Preez.

According to Dr Du Preez, when cooking, it is safer to have pot and pan handles turned inward, rather than outward where children can reach them. Kettle cords and tablecloths should be tucked in and kept out of reach to prevent children from pulling them and spilling hot substances.

A turning point

Nosicelo Madushana, a third-year medical student at the UFS, was four years old when she sustained third degree burn wounds on 70% of her body after a large pot of boiling water, fell on her. However, she would only later really understand the impact of this accident on her life.

“It wasn’t until I was in Grade 3 that I began to understand that I was perceived as different. During an Eskom educational session on the dangers of electricity, the presenter used the analogy of turning into a "chicken roast" when tampering with electric circuits. In that moment, a number of my peers turned, pointed, and laughed, likening me to the example given.

“That experience marked a turning point in my self-awareness and emotional resilience. It shaped me profoundly. I became emotionally guarded, not violent, but verbally defensive. I often felt I had to exist in survival mode rather than being allowed to simply be myself,” Nosicelo recalls.

As a result of these experiences, she explains, she developed a deep-seated need to constantly prove that she belonged in every space she entered. She wanted to ensure that any opportunity or recognition she received was based solely on merit and not influenced by perceptions of her physical appearance or sympathy for her circumstances. It became an unhealthy cycle of overcompensation and striving to validate her presence.

This is demonstrated in her academic achievements as she first did a Bachelor of Sciences in Medical Bioscience degree, followed by a postgraduate diploma in Augment and Virtual Reality (Comp Science) (both at University of the Western Cape). She followed this up with an Honours degree in Anatomical Pathology at Sefako Makgathu Health Sciences University.

Apply correct first aid treatment immediately

Dr Du Preez says they also recommend that children should never be left unsupervised around hot substances, whether food or fire. When running a bath for a child, add cold water to the tub first, then hot water to reach the desired temperature. This is safer because, if a child falls into the tub, they will only encounter cold water rather than hot, which could prevent a severe, potentially life-threatening injury.

Adults, on the other hand, explains Dr Du Preez, typically sustain severe burns due to flames, which may result from house fires or accidents involving fire. Paraffin stoves are responsible for a significant number of house fires in South Africa, and healthcare professionals strongly advise against their use.

In the era of load-shedding, people need to be mindful of safe practices when using candles, says Dr Du Preez. Candles should never be left unattended and should always be placed in a container that covers the flame. This helps prevent the risk of a candle setting a room on fire if it falls over.

“If someone suffers a burn injury, correct first aid treatment should be applied immediately. Remove any clothing and jewellery from the affected area, and ensure any burning debris is removed. Cool the burn by running it under lukewarm tap water for 10-15 minutes. Cover the wound with a clean, damp cloth and seek medical attention. Do not apply “home remedies” such as toothpaste, raw egg, or shoe polish, as these can impair healing and increase the risk of infection and scarring.

“In the event of a fire, remember to ‘stop, drop, and roll’ to extinguish any flames. Remove burning clothes and debris, cover the person with a clean towel, and seek urgent medical care.”

Being burned victim is her normal

Nosicelo, whose passion lies in research and the fight against cancer, being a burn victim is her normal. She has no memory or photographic evidence of herself without burns. “What I dislike the most is the empathetic gaze, the unsolicited pity, the assumption that I am a victim in constant need of help. I am not a tragic story. I am a woman who is brave, resilient, beautiful, and forging her own path.

“My life is not defined by the incident, but by the choices I make and the legacy I intend to leave. I am a three-time graduate, and I will not stop until I attain the prestigious FCPath(SA) qualification (the Fellowship of the College of Pathologists of South Africa, a recognised postgraduate qualification in pathology for medical practitioners in South Africa.) My journey is one of strength, not sorrow. I am committed to being a part of the global effort to eliminate this disease. Until that day comes, I dedicate myself to being a voice for cancer education, prevention, and early detection, empowering individuals with knowledge that can save lives.”

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Prof. Phillipe Burger

2007-11-26

Attending the lecture were, from the left: Prof. Tienie Crous (Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the UFS), Prof. Phillipe Burger (Departmental Chairperson of the Department of Economics at the UFS), and Prof. Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).
Photo: Stephen Collet

A summary of an inaugural lecture presented by Prof. Phillipe Burger on the topic: “The ups and downs of the South African Economy: Rough seas or smooth sailing?”

South African business cycle shows reduction in volatility

Better monetary policy and improvements in the financial sector that place less liquidity constraints on individuals is one of the main reasons for the reduction in the volatility of the South African economy. The improvement in access to the financial sector also enables individuals to manage their debt better.

These are some of the findings in an analysis on the volatility of the South African business cycle done by Prof. Philippe Burger, Departmental Chairperson of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Economics.

Prof. Burger delivered his inaugural lecture last night (22 November 2007) on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein on the topic “The ups and downs of the South African Economy: Rough seas or smooth sailing?”

In his lecture, Prof. Burger emphasised a few key aspects of the South African business cycle and indicated how it changed during the periods 1960-1976, 1976-1994 en 1994-2006.

With the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an indicator of the business cycle, the analysis identified the variables that showed the highest correlation with the GDP. During the periods 1976-1994 and 1994-2006, these included durable consumption, manufacturing investment, private sector investment, as well as investment in machinery and non-residential buildings. Other variables that also show a high correlation with the GDP are imports, non-durable consumption, investment in the financial services sector, investment by general government, as well as investment in residential buildings.

Prof. Burger’s analysis also shows that changes in durable consumption, investment in the manufacturing sector, investment in the private sector, as well as investment in non-residential buildings preceded changes in the GDP. If changes in a variable such as durable consumption precede changes in the GDP, it is an indication that durable consumption is one of the drivers of the business cycle. The up or down swing of durable consumption may, in other words, just as well contribute to an up or down swing in the business cycle.

A surprising finding of the analysis is the particularly strong role durable consumption has played in the business cycle since 1994. This finding is especially surprising due to the fact that durable consumption only constitutes about 12% of the total household consumption.

A further surprising finding is the particularly small role exports have been playing since 1960 as a driver of the business cycle. In South Africa it is still generally accepted that exports are one of the most important drivers of the business cycle. It is generally accepted that, should the business cycles of South Africa’s most important trade partners show an upward phase; these partners will purchase more from South Africa. This increase in exports will contribute to the South African economy moving upward. Prof. Burger’s analyses shows, however, that exports have generally never fulfil this role.

Over and above the identification of the drivers of the South African business cycle, Prof. Burger’s analysis also investigated the volatility of the business cycle.

When the periods 1976-1994 and 1994-2006 are compared, the analysis shows that the volatility of the business cycle has reduced since 1994 with more than half. The reduction in volatility can be traced to the reduction in the volatility of household consumption (especially durables and services), as well as a reduction in the volatility of investment in machinery, non-residential buildings and transport equipment. The last three coincide with the general reduction in the volatility of investment in the manufacturing sector. Investment in sectors such as electricity and transport (not to be confused with investment in transport equipment by various sectors) which are strongly dominated by the government, did not contribute to the decrease in volatility.

In his analysis, Prof. Burger supplies reasons for the reduction in volatility. One of the explanations is the reduction in the shocks affecting the economy – especially in the South African context. Another explanation is the application of an improved monetary policy by the South African Reserve Bank since the mid 1990’s. A third explanation is the better access to liquidity and credit since the mid 1990’s, which enables the better management of household finance and the absorption of financial shocks.

A further reason which contributed to the reduction in volatility in countries such as the United States of America’s business cycle is better inventory management. While the volatility of inventory in South Africa has also reduced there is, according to Prof. Burger, little proof that better inventory management contributed to the reduction in volatility of the GDP.

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