Automated Brain-Cooling Device Donation Greatly Eases Burden At Mowbray Maternity Hospital
For Immediate Release:
10 August 2022
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A Western Cape Hospital’s low-tech and labour-intensive manual brain cooling treatment of babies
suffering birth asphyxia – with the potential for developing hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy,
which can lead to death or significant brain damage – has been relegated to history, thanks to a
donation of two automated cooling devices.
The donation, valued at R767 000, was provided by the South African Muslim Charitable Trust
(SAMCT).
Speaking at an event marking the official hand-over to the significantly under-resourced Mowbray
Maternity Hospital of the two devices, SAMCT Trustee, Mr Faried Boltman, said: “Today, healthcare
equipment comes at a significant cost. Quality equipment costs dearly, but quality equipment must,
of course, be the prerequisite when equipping our country’s health facilities.”
“Sadly, our public healthcare system faces significant financial challenges, exacerbated by the fact
that for many patients in this country, the real cost of healthcare is quite simply beyond them.
Whilst South Africa does boast a large number of modern, world-class and well-equipped hospitals,
staffed by consummate professionals, many others – although staffed by dedicated professionals –
are severely under-resourced and ill-equipped to deal with the pressures and demands of healthcare
in the modern world.”
He said that whilst Government was addressing such challenges, the task remained immense.
“A quick fix solution for all our public healthcare facilities with state-of-the-art equipment is simply
not within the realms of possibility. The massive funding levels required simply preclude such an
over-arching solution. We, of the South African Muslim Charitable Trust, recognise the plethora of
healthcare challenges which exist, not least of which includes the vital need for the provision of new
equipment, in sufficient numbers, to enable healthcare professionals across the country to execute
their healing work,” he said.
Mr Boltman stressed that public-private partnerships held the key to better equipping this country’s
healthcare facilities.
“We regard Mowbray Maternity Hospital to be just such a deserving cause. Although massively
under-resourced, it is widely regarded by healthcare professionals and service users alike as a
premier public service provider of neonatal and obstetric services in this country.”
“This hospital is responsible for the delivery of some 900 babies every month and services referrals
from a number of appreciably disadvantaged areas. It regularly deals with a range of neonatal
problems related to prematurity. However, a significant number of near-term or term babies suffer
birth asphyxia, with the potential to develop hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy, which can lead to
death or significant brain damage.”
The hospital treats some 10 babies with this condition monthly, placing a tremendous burden on its
resources because it has no alternative but to use a low-tech, manual cooling method, known as Gel-
Bag Cooling.
“It is widely accepted that the most effective treatment of the condition is the cooling of the brain
by whole body or selective brain cooling. Although the low-tech approach utilised here is effective, it
is extremely labour-intensive and, unfortunately, the cost of available and less labour-intensive
automated cooling methods is prohibitive and beyond the budgeting parameters of the hospital,”
Mr Boltman added.
Sub-optimal temperature control, as provided by manual ice-packs, does not ensure a constant
temperature and could impact the efficacy of the intervention.
“Given that Mowbray Maternity Hospital is a referral facility and a critical medical facility providing
therapeutic hypothermia to all moderately and severe hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy cases
across the Western Cape’s Metro West catchment area, modern automated equipment is essential
to the hospital’s future effective treatment of babies suffering birth asphyxia.”
“Upon learning of the hospital’s plight, the South African Muslim Charitable Trust was quick to
respond, providing two automated colling devices which will make a vast difference to the ongoing
level of care delivered by Mowbray Maternity Hospital’s dedicated and professional staff,” he said.
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al
Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. This has
ensured that the SAMCT is the beneficiary of this Shariah suite of funds, enabling it to provide
funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived
and disadvantaged. It has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable assistance solutions
throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy
organisations in the fields of social development, poverty alleviation, education and healthcare.
Mr Boltman stressed: “We believe that having the necessary healthcare equipment in place in order
to safeguard lives is not just a need, it’s an imperative. For the sake of affected babies now and into
the future, we, of the SAMCT, believe that we had a humanitarian responsibility to assist in
contributing towards resolving such equipment shortfalls. I have every confidence that our
assistance will greatly assist in alleviating the brain cooling problem and believe that this upgraded,
automated equipment will have the very real potential to save the lives of new-born infants going
forward.”
He believed that Mowbray Maternity Hospital’s efforts to equip and upgrade the facility would take
the hospital to a new level in the South African healthcare environment.
ends
For more information about SAMCT or its Mowbray Maternity Hospital Automated Cooling Device donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za