Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital Trust has thanked all the donors who have contributed to the renovations of the hospital.
This is after the hospital did a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Victor Daitz psychology centre on Wednesday.
The hospital, formerly known as the Addington Children’s Hospital, was built and opened in 1931.
It was the first children’s hospital in Africa but was later shut down by the apartheid government for serving children of all races.
The CEO of the trust, Taryn Millar, said the donations supported the day-to-day operations of the trust, they helped free up resources, build awareness of the project and inspired donor confidence.
Millar remembered the late Dr Arthi Ramkissoon for single-handedly raising funds to proceed with the recent phase of renovations. She said renovations began in September 2020.
“In December 2020, the physiotherapy section was opened. In January 2021 and just a few months into the fourth part renovation contract, Arthi passed away,” said Millar.
She thanked all the donors for being patient with them as they found their feet without Ramkissoon.
“We celebrate our new facilities and our donors who made these renovations possible – Arthi would be proud,” she said.
“We acknowledge Arthi’s immense contribution to the project over the years. She is dearly missed, is never far from our thoughts and will always be part of this project.”
The chairperson of the KZN Children’s Trust, Anuschka Coovadia, said they wanted to make sure that every child in KwaZulu-Natal had access to optimal health-care services, no matter what socio-economic situation they may be born into.
“I would like to thank the team for carrying the legacy of Dr Ramkissoon during the difficult times of the pandemic,” said Coovadia.
The managing trustee of the Victor Daitz Foundation, David Simpson, recalled when he was admitted to the hospital as a child. He said as a born-and-bred Durbanite, they recognised that the hospital needed help, and .the choice was a psychological centre.
“The trustee has always been proud and privileged to donate money to assist in rebuilding that section of the hospital,” he said.
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