Children with life threatening illnesses at Frere Hospital’s paediatric oncology ward will now undergo much-needed treatment while being able to watch movies or play TV games.
The unit has received a donation of four new flatscreen televisions, portable DVD players and PlayStation3 (PS3) consoles.
The equipment, valued at R35000, was donated last week by consortium Equicent in partnership with Reach for a Dream Foundation.
The Eastern Cape department of health yesterday said the new equipment would help children suffering from cancer forget their pain.
East London Reach for a Dream Foundation branch manager Sinta Reynolds said the need for the equipment was realised earlier this year.
“A child’s biggest wish is the power to dream because dreams give you hope and with hope they can fight their illnesses,” Reynolds said.
The unit has 25 beds. A hospital stay of up to three months is not uncommon for children who at times are lonely as their parents are away for work or at home taking care of other children.
Children with aggressive forms of cancer are kept in an isolation ward to prevent them contracting other infections.
“When they are in isolation they have nothing to do. Now they will be able to watch a movie on their portable DVD player or play their Play Station games to keep them occupied,” Reynolds said.
The paediatric oncology unit, one of only two in the Eastern Cape, provides care to children with leukaemia, kidney cancer and brain tumours.
The children come from hospitals and clinics in the central and eastern region of the province.
The unit has an average intake of 60 patients a year and the ages ranges from birth to 14-year-olds.
The unit’s lead paediatric oncologist Dr Karla Thomas said: “The TVs will be put up in isolation rooms specifically because we’ve got children who have to stay there because they are quite sick. We don’t want people coming in and out.”
Thomas said as a result of stringent access measures the children ended up being lonely.
“It’s going to be quite nice having the TV and Play Stations there so that they have something to stimulate them,” Thomas said.
Hospital CEO Dr Rolene Wagner said the hospital was introduced to Equicent by Reach for a Dream.
“As part of their social responsibility Equicent wanted to do something to contribute to the well-being of children in the ward and through that connection this donation came about,” she said.
She said the equipment would keep the children engaged.
“Children get depressed when they are isolated and not kept busy,” Wagner said.
Boredom-busting gifts for paediatric oncology unit
The unit has received a donation of four new flatscreen televisions, portable DVD players and PlayStation3 (PS3) consoles.
The equipment, valued at R35000, was donated last week by consortium Equicent in partnership with Reach for a Dream Foundation.
The Eastern Cape department of health yesterday said the new equipment would help children suffering from cancer forget their pain.
East London Reach for a Dream Foundation branch manager Sinta Reynolds said the need for the equipment was realised earlier this year.
“A child’s biggest wish is the power to dream because dreams give you hope and with hope they can fight their illnesses,” Reynolds said.
The unit has 25 beds. A hospital stay of up to three months is not uncommon for children who at times are lonely as their parents are away for work or at home taking care of other children.
Children with aggressive forms of cancer are kept in an isolation ward to prevent them contracting other infections.
“When they are in isolation they have nothing to do. Now they will be able to watch a movie on their portable DVD player or play their Play Station games to keep them occupied,” Reynolds said.
The paediatric oncology unit, one of only two in the Eastern Cape, provides care to children with leukaemia, kidney cancer and brain tumours.
The children come from hospitals and clinics in the central and eastern region of the province.
The unit has an average intake of 60 patients a year and the ages ranges from birth to 14-year-olds.
The unit’s lead paediatric oncologist Dr Karla Thomas said: “The TVs will be put up in isolation rooms specifically because we’ve got children who have to stay there because they are quite sick. We don’t want people coming in and out.”
Thomas said as a result of stringent access measures the children ended up being lonely.
“It’s going to be quite nice having the TV and Play Stations there so that they have something to stimulate them,” Thomas said.
Hospital CEO Dr Rolene Wagner said the hospital was introduced to Equicent by Reach for a Dream.
“As part of their social responsibility Equicent wanted to do something to contribute to the well-being of children in the ward and through that connection this donation came about,” she said.
She said the equipment would keep the children engaged.
“Children get depressed when they are isolated and not kept busy,” Wagner said.
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