Beautiful floors, accessories and waterjet cut-outs help transform rural KZN hospital

Johannesburg, 20 September 2019. This past year, Polyflor SA once again partnered with the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust to help refurbish the paediatric facilities and services for trauma and burns patients at Ngwelezana Hospital, by donating flooring and wall protection products and services valued at close to R400 000.00. According to Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA, this project was very dear to her team’s hearts as it cares for and treats KZN’s littlest burn and trauma victims. 

“Children suffering the emotional and physical trauma of burns caused by paraffin stoves, open flames or candles falling over, is a harsh reality and an occurrence that happens all too often in South Africa. Burns patients require very intense and specialised care to avoid potentially fatal infections and, in most cases, also skin grafts to repair the damaged tissue. Upon hearing of the desperate need to upgrade the paediatric facilities at Ngwelezana Hospital, we were delighted to confirm our involvement in this worthy project,” Tandy says.  

About Ngwelezane Hospital 

Situated approximately 20km from Richards Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal, the Ngwelezana Hospital is a 554-bed facility that provides district, regional and tertiary services to densely populated communities from the King Cetshwayo, Umkhanyakude and Zululand districts. It is also the referral centre for children who have suffered burns, trauma requiring surgery and orthopaedic care. Prior to the refurbishment, all paediatric burns and trauma cases at Ngwelezane Hospital were treated in the Adult Burns Ward, which allocated 21 of its 38 beds for younger patients.  

Small (corporate) actions making a big difference

Above and beyond the seed capital of R10.3 million contributed to the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust by South32 to initiate this project, Polyflor SA was one of thirty companies who generously donated material, equipment, services and advice to help realise the dream of creating a brand-new, 22-bed Paediatric Burns Unit. With the help of Sakhiwo Infrastructure Solutions, and architects the Hospital Design Group, Ngwelezana Hospital’s Paediatric Burns Unit was created as a state-of-the-art facility that is able to provide a range of care options – ranging from general patient to high care and isolated ICU rooms.  It now also has the best purpose-fit medical equipment, essential clinical dry and wet treatment areas and custom-designed air treatment facilities which are required for the optimal treatment of burns patients. 

Polyflor’s donation comprised of Pearlazzo PUR sheeting in Mineral, Sunrise, Purple Crush (515 m2), Hydro Evolve 2mm in Tigris (40 m2), Polysafe Verona 2mm in Horizon Blue (80 m2), welding rods, coving and capping strips, wall guards and corner guards. Beautiful waterjet cut-outs of typical African images, such as giraffe, buck, tortoises, bunnies and clouds using the Gradus SureProtect Endure wall protection range, transformed the facility into a highly functional, yet bright, happy space that improves staff morale, aids in the small patients’ recovery process and is unlike any other hospital in the world.

“Looking back at our involvement with Carte Blanche’s MAD Projects over the past 10 years, it has truly been an honour and a privilege to support such an initiative that improves and uplifts seriously neglected and under-resourced hospitals around South Africa.  It is wonderful knowing that our products have played a part in transforming the public paediatric healthcare landscape. The ripple effect of small acts of kindness, generosity and teamwork create a lasting and extraordinary impact,” Tandy concludes. 

For more information about Polyflor SA, visit www.polyflor.co.za