Our Vision
To ensure the right of every child to access quality palliative care in South Africa.
Our Mission
To mobilise and support a sustainable network of individuals, organisations, professionals and caregivers to provide palliative care for children and their families from diagnosis to bereavement as an essential component of Universal Health Coverage.
Our Objectives
PatchSA is a Non-Profit Organisation (NGO) and a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) established for the following objectives which can be categorised using the acronym R.A.I.S.E. :
Resources
To provide relevant and culturally appropriate resources for healthcare providers offering children’s palliative care, for parents of children with palliative care needs and for children & young people needing palliative care.
Advocacy
To be a strong collaborative voice for the right of children to receive quality palliative care. To influence policy development in children’s palliative care. To advocate for the integration of palliative care into all children’s services.
Information & Networking
To be a reliable and trustworthy source of information on children’s palliative care in South Africa and to be a networking service to connect providers and those who need to access palliative care for children.
Support
To offer support to healthcare providers, to children and to families, ensuring the voice of the child and family informs all activities of the network. To promote care for the caregiver.
Education & Research
To provide evidence-based and culturally relevant education on children’s palliative care for professionals and caregivers and to drive the research agenda for evidence-based children’s palliative care in our country. Find our online courses at www.academy.patchsa.org
Download our brochure: PatchSA Brochure 2023
What we do
PatchSA is a national network that focuses on supporting the provision of palliative care to an estimated 800,000 – 1,000,000 children living in South Africa with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, and their families.
We do this in the following ways:
Resources:
PatchSA offers a wealth of relevant tools and resources for healthcare providers and carers which includes two Bettercare textbooks on palliative care for children and perinatal palliative care, a pain assessment tool, palliative care planning tools, and an online formulary for paediatric palliative care prescribing.
Advocacy:
We are a strong collaborative voice for the right of children to receive quality palliative care. We have an active Advocacy Committee that aims to influence policy development in children’s palliative care and to advocate for the integration of palliative care into all children’s services and relevant healthcare facilities.
Information and Networking:
We are a trusted and reliable source for information related to children’s palliative care services and practices in South Africa both within and beyond our borders.
Support:
We work to ensure the voice of the child and family informs all activities of our network. We also promote care and support for health care providers, parents and caregivers providing day to day care to children with palliative care needs.
Education & Research:
We provide evidence-based education in children’s palliative care for health care providers through face-to-face training and through Patch Academy, an online learning platform. Patch Academy is an educational resource for all members of the multidisciplinary team caring for babies, toddlers, children and young adults with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and conditions and their families. The courses are CPD accredited by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa and open to anyone with a desire to know more about the practice and delivery of neonatal, perinatal and children’s palliative care.
We contribute to, participate in and signpost research relevant to children’s palliative care in order to drive the research agenda for evidence-based children’s palliative care, particularly as it pertains to South Africa and other Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Read Our Annual Reports
2017 PatchSA Annual Report
2018 PatchSA Annual Report
2019 PatchSA Annual Report
2020 PatchSA Annual Report
2021-22 PatchSA Annual Report
2023 PatchSA Annual Report
Our Board of Directors
|
|
Dr Samantha Govender
Chairperson
Dr Samantha Govender qualified as a Paediatrician and also obtained a Diploma in Child Health from the College of Medicine South Africa. She also obtained her MMed from the University of KZN were she also completed her undergraduate degree in Medicine in 2007. Sam Govender is a Paediatrician based at General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital (previously known as Stanger) in the iLembe Region In KwaZulu Natal. She has a special interest in Paediatric Palliative care and has successfully completed the Post graduate Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Care through UCT in 2017. She is passionate about advocating for palliative care for her patients as well as educating health care workers about the benefits of palliative care with the aim of achieving a good quality of life for their patients. |
|
Dr Mehnaaz Ally
Vice Chairperson
Dr Mehnaaz Akbar Ally is a paediatric palliative care specialist in Gauteng. After completing her undergraduate degree in Medicine from Wits in 2005, she pursued post grad studies in Paediatrics, and then in Paediatric Palliative Care. She successfully completed the post grad diploma through UCT in 2017, with distinction, and consults both in private and public sectors in Gauteng. She heads up the WitsPal Paediatric Palliative Care team at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, and Lambano Sanctuary, which is the only paediatric step down unit / hospice faculty in South Africa. She is passionate about educating fellow healthcare workers about Paediatric pain and has a special interest in neonatal pain / palliation. Of late, she has also taken to running support groups and debriefing workshops for healthcare workers burdened by burnout and compassion fatigue. |
|
Dr Michelle Meiring
Immediate Past Chairperson and Advocacy Lead
Dr Michelle Meiring is a Paediatrician with a special interest in Palliative Care and Chronic Pain Management. She is the Founding Director of Paedspal, an NGO that provides a paediatric palliative care service to public and private patients in Cape Town. Academically she convenes the Post-Graduate Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at UCT. An active advocate, Dr Meiring chairs PatchSA (the South African Children’s Palliative Care Network) and is engaged in policy making nationally. |
|
Alyssa Ruth de Saldahna
Treasurer
Alyssa obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2015. She is a member of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA). Her present position is as a Finance Manager of EHJ Accounting Services CC. In addition, Alyssa is a Birth Doula and founder of the 1000 Days of Grace Foundation, an NPO established to imporve the level of maternity and infant care in South Africa. |
|
Aimee Kinsley
Secretary
Aimee obtained a Bachelor of Economics degree from Stellenbosch University and spent over 20 years working in the financial services industry specialising in the retirement fund space. Aimee has worked very closely with Fund trustees and also acted as Deputy Principal Officer for some retirement funds. She is a trustee of a body corporate as well as Treasurer and Public Officer of Patch SA. Aimee became associated with Palliative care when her younger teenage son, Jesse, was diagnosed as terminal. She spent many years working closely with a palliative team trying to make Jesse’s life as comfortable as possible with as much quality of life in challenging circumstances. After Jesse passed away, Aimee and her husband John moved to their farm in Robertson, where they breed horses and enjoy a quieter life. Aimee also provides assistance with the day-to-day administration and finance of the organisation. |
|
Thaaniyah Gydien
Board Member
Thaaniyah is a Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her BsC honors degree through UCT in 2017. She then went on to work in the public sector for 3 years where she was first exposed to palliative care. She started her own practice in 2021 and is very passionate about working in the paediatric palliative population with special interest in safe, quality feeding and optimal communication. She is a clinical educator at UCT and guest lectures on palliative care. Additionally, she consults for Paedspal and Reach for a dream and runs a feeding clinic at Rondebosch Medical Centre once a month. Her passion lies in supporting communication, feeding and empowering patients and caregivers. She is currently completing her Postgraduate diploma in paediatric palliative medicine through UCT. |
|
Melissa Platt
Board Member
Melissa is a Pallitaive Care Coach, and the Co-Founder of Footprints 4 Sam. Melissa is Fred’s wife, Sam’s Mum and a bereaved parent. She is also a palliative coach and a professional consultant now strategically focused on the paediatric healthcare sector. Melissa obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine at UCT (2017, graduating with distinction), a coaching qualification at the Centre of Coaching at UCT Business School (2015), and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Rhodes University (1993). Melissa is passionate about patient and child advocacy, and family-centred healthcare. She is a co-founder of Footprints4Sam. Melissa’s senior management experience has been in heading up teams in sales, marketing and business development for many years. Her consulting, coaching and advocacy work has inspired positive growth, resilience and change in the families, individuals and teams. She has worked with both in the healthcare environment, as well as in the commercial sector. |
|
Busi Nkosi
Board Member
Busi Nkosi is a professional nurse and was the Director of Advocacy for the International Children’s Palliative Care Network for 8 years. She is a nurse by profession and spent 20 years working in the South African Department of Health. She practiced as a Midwife for 3 years after qualifying as a midwife. She is also a Primary Health Care Nurse, Nurse Educator, Nurse Manager and Community Health Nurse. Passionate about working with children, she joined the field of children’s palliative care 18 years ago and spent 13 years in a children’s hospice. She worked for the International Children’s Palliative Care Network for 7 years advocating for children’s palliative care at global, regional and local levels. She has conducted training courses in children’s palliative care in various African countries. She has also presented papers on CPC at various international conferences, advocating for children’s palliative care. |
|
Dr Jan du Plessis
Board Member
Prof Jan du Plessis is a lecturer and specialist paediatric oncologist at the Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein. He obtained his undergraduate degree (MBChB) at the University of the Free State in 1995. Thereafter, he completed his internship at the Bloemfontein Hospital Complex. His post graduate qualification as a general paediatrician (MMed Paed) was obtained from the University of the Free State in 2003. Dr Du Plessis then continued his studies and obtained his Certificate in Medical Oncology (Paediatrics) from the Colleges of Medicine (SA) in 2006. He then did a 2-year fellowship in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Prof du Plessis did the diploma in palliative care at the University of Cape Town in 2013 and then completed and obtained the MPhil in Palliative Medicine degree from the University of Cape Town in 2016. Currently, Dr Du Plessis acting as the head of Paediatric Oncology and is also a lecturer at the University of the Free State for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. He has a special interest in paediatric palliative care and haemophilia and presently works part time for the South Africa Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance. |
|
Dr Karl-Günter Technau
Board Member
Dr Karl-Günter Technau is medical doctor and HIV Specialist. He is an Associate Professor at Wits University and a medical doctor who currently manages the paediatric HIV clinic at Rahima Moosa, having worked there since 2005. Having pursued a part-academic and part-clinical career he has completed his PhD and MSc(Med) in topics related to maternal and infant HIV diagnosis after initially completing his Diploma in Child Health and Diploma of HIV Management. A large focus of his work has been infant and maternal care and trying to help reduce mortality. His interest has also more recently included adolescent care, palliative care and the field of mental health in patients, families and staff. |
|
Mlulami Nxele
Board Member
Mr Mlulami Nxele is a lawyer who is currently the Head of Legal for a major South African asset manager. He joins the board as a non-executive member. Mlulami holds an LLB degree from Nelson Mandela University and is an admitted attorney of the High Court. He has 12 years’ experience as a legal advisor in the asset management and financial services industry. Mlulami brings a wealth of legal experience to our organisation, which will certainly help to maximise the impact of the PatchSA Board. |
Our Staff
|
|
Tracy Rawlins
Education and Training Manager
Professional nurse, educator and paediatric palliative care nurse specialist – Tracy is a professional nurse and midwife who has experience working in clinics, doctor’s surgeries, has run a private well baby clinic offering birth education classes as a school nurse and taught at a preschool for 5 years. During this time she undertook home care visits to those diagnosed with terminal illnesses, something she still does. In 2011, after being employed by the local hospice as the clinical manager, she completed the Short Course in Palliative Care for professional nurses (SCPNC) at South Coast Hospice and, realising she had a passion for teaching and empowering caregivers with knowledge and skills, completed her post graduate diploma in nursing education through Potchefstroom university. She worked for HPCA as their travelling tutor and facilitated the SCPNC distance programme in Mpumalanga for 3 years and in 2016 coordinated the SCPNC for HPCA nationally. With a partial bursary from HPCA she went on to study the Post Graduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine at UCT in 2017. Her experience in adult palliative care had laid a foundation of knowledge and skills but her heart and passion has always been in working with babies and children. She had identified a gap and need to offer more specialised care for babies and children with life limiting and life-threatening conditions so chose to complete the paediatric sub-specialty of the diploma. She was appointed as the training coordinator at PatchSA in May 2018. Tracy lives with her husband on a farm in the KZN midlands and has four adult children. |
|
Sue Boucher
Programme & Communications Manager
Sue Boucher is a qualified teacher, an author and has vast experience in digital design and communication. During a teaching career spanning 30 years, she held the posts of Head of Department and Principal and sat on school Management Committees and Governing Bodies. From 2008 she spent 11 years with the International Children’s Palliative Network as their Director of Communications and joined the staff of PatchSA in 2020. She is a published author of numerous children’s story books and has co-authored and authored teaching manuals, textbooks and teaching aids for use at Junior, Senior Primary and High School level. She wrote the HPCA handbook: Promoting Early Childhood Development within Paediatric Palliative Care and was a contributing author to the Oxford Textbook on Children’s Palliative Care in Africa published in 2009 and A Really Practical Handbook of Children’s Palliative Care in 2015. She is a contributing author to the 3rd edition of the Oxford Textbook on Palliative Care for Children published in 2021. She is the mother of three adult children and lives in the beautiful Assagay Valley in KZN. |
Our Bookkeeper
Margaret Louw
Bookkeeper
Margaret studied at Pretoria and Stellenbosch Universities, and worked as a teacherlibrarian and as a translator for Parliament. She later worked as a financial manager at a thoroughbred horse farm for 17 years. Retirement in 2021 for her was just a transition to reconnect with the community as a volunteer and continue with freelance work, including her bookkeeping services for PatchSA.
Our Funds Procurement Manager
Malcolm Kling
Funds Procurement Manager
Malcolm has brought his vast experience in fundraising, marketing and sales, together with his passion, energy and single-minded devotion to causes advancing children’s health and care, to the PatchSA team, which he joined in the second half of 2021. Malcolm’s original training and experience was in business administration, financial management and accounting, followed by over 19 years in marketing and sales. In February 2003, Malcolm was appointed as Funds Procurement Manager of the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital Trust, during which time he also served on the School Governing Body and the Finance Committee of Tygerberg Hospital School. During the ensuing more than 16 years, Malcolm developed enormous passion for and devotion to fundraising for the benefit of less fortunate children and newborn babies, witnessing the life-changing enhancement of their healthcare through investment of funds in upgrading facilities and purchasing essential medical equipment. Malcolm has realised the enormous challenges and many shortcomings in the provision of children’s palliative care in South Africa and is inspired to procure funds needed to enable PatchSA to achieve its important objectives.
At the launch of the South African Children’s Palliative Care Network in 2012 were from left to right, Joan Marston, Dr Kaliah Johnson, Dr Michelle Meiring and Cindy Illing
How it all began
- The development of a palliative care network for children in South Africa (SA) was the brainchild of Mrs Joan Marston who set up the Paediatric Sub Committee while working at the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA) and is the past Chief Executive and Global Ambassador of the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN).
- The intention to set up a children’s network was presented to the Palliative Care Society of South Africa (PCSSA) by Dr Michelle Meiring in October 2008.
- In 2009 the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA), with funding support from the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund (DPOWMF), established a virtual resource centre for children’s palliative care (known as the Baobab PPC website) and also developed community based centres of excellence (known as Beacon centres).
- By 2010 the Bigshoes Foundation had developed hospital-based Paediatric palliative care teams in three provinces (Gauteng, KZN and Western Cape)
- In February 2012 HPCA, ICPCN and the Bigshoes Foundation met to discuss how they could work together to extend the reach of quality children’s palliative care in SA and formed the South African Children’s Palliative Care Alliance.
- One of the goals of the alliance was to set up the South African Children’s Palliative Care Network (SACPCN).
- The SACPCN was officially launched at the 25th Anniversary conference of the HPCA in September 2012.
- The network’s new name, PatchSA, was officially presented on the 18th of September 2013 to the palliative care community at the joint HPCA and African Palliative Care Association (APCA) conference in Johannesburg.
Original PatchSA Committee members met in Cape Town in September 2014
L to R: Cindy Illing, Dr Michelle Meiring, Joan Marston, Dr Julia Ambler, Tracey Brand, Annanda Bothma, and Sue Boucher
Looking to the future
On 25 April 2023 a Strategic Planning meeting was held at Rondebosch Medical Centre in Cape Town which brought together, for the very first time, members of the board, staff members and consultants – all of whom contribute to keeping PatchSA relevant and ensure that we are fulfilling our mission to ensure the right of every child to access quality palliative care in South Africa.
Top L toR: Margaret Louw, Dr Mehnaaz Ally, Busi Nkosi, Aimée Kinsley, Prof Jan du Plessis, Tracy Rawlins, Malcolm Kling Middle L to R: Melissa Williams-Platt, Dr Michelle Meiring, Sue Boucher, Dr Karl-Günter Technau Front L to R: Dr Samantha Govender, Thaaniyah Gydien