100927 Tugela Ferry v1 KA.indd

Tugela ferry : church of scotland, KWA-ZULU NATAL
Last updated October 2010
POSITION: Situated in Tugela Ferry – Msinga District. Situated midway between Greytown and Dundee
HOSPITAL MANAGER
SPECIAL FEATURES
Cosh is nestled in a picturesque valley, near the Tugela River. Its inhabitants enjoy the sunshine throughout the year. It is 200
km away from the Indian Ocean, and 200 km away from the majestic Drakensberg Mountains and game parks. Msinga is a
malaria free area.
The hospital has a well developed ARV programme with about 1000 adults and just over 100 children on treatment. Cosh
has been voted as having the best Home Based Care programme in the Province, which has been the blue print for other
rural hospitals. We also have a 16 bed hospice, which is situated on the banks of the tranquil Tugela River. The hospice also
functions as a step down facility, where patients can be started on ARV’s. The community served by the hospital is very traditional and rural. Illiteracy and poverty are very prevalent.
Part of the hospital’s success over the years, has been the result of its stable complement of permanent doctors. Dr Theo van
der Merwe, has been at Cosh since 1985, and has selflessly devoted himself to the hospital and the community. Dr Tony Moll
has been at Cosh since 1986, and was instrumental in spear-heading the Home Based Care programme and the adult ARV
programme. Dr Francois Eksteen has been at Cosh since 1995. He is a physician and maintains a high standard of academic
excellence, and is involved in teaching and training junior doctors.
Mr Hans Human
Direct office line: +2733 493
E mail: [email protected]
There is a warm lively community of staff and their families that live on the hospital premises, and there is always much to
keep one busy in the evenings, including aerobics and swimming at the pool.
MEDICAL MANAGER
So come and experience life in Tugela Ferry. Be refreshed by the clean air, experience the quiet sounds of nature, enjoy
starry skies at night, and awake to birds chirping at your window.
Dr OG Ojo +2733- 4930726 (House)
0724280443 (Cell)
Direct office line: +2733- 493 0809
E mail: [email protected]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOSPITAL.
The hospital has 342 beds and has the following wards:
Male medical ward – 34 beds
Female medical ward – 45 beds
Paediatric ward – 45 beds
Male and Female surgical wards- 48 beds total
Maternity & nursery- 81 beds total
Male & female TB wards- 68 beds total
Psychiatric ward- 21 beds total
The hospital has a well run pharmacy, well equipped laboratory, including facilities to do CD4 counts on site, and a competent
X-ray department.
The hospital is fairly busy: about 150 patients are seen daily in OPD and Casualty. There is an average of 300 deliveries in
maternity per month, with peaks in September and January of each year (“baby boom months”) and a caesarean section rate
of about 15%. There is an average of 10,000 admissions per year (to all wards in total). Our bed occupancy rate is usually more
than 90%.
SPECTRUM OF WORK
The following surgical procedures are undertaken at our hospital: Caesarean sections, ectopic pregnancies, limb amputations,
skin graphs, incision and drainage of abscesses, tonsillectomies, appendisectomies, and circumcisions. In the medical wards
we treat patients with HIV and complications, diabetes, hypertension and complications, and other medical conditions. Paediatric admissions are predominantly for malnutrition, infectious diseases, gastroenteritis and HIV and complications.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Cosh was initially a mission hospital that was founded by a missionary doctor from the Church of Scotland in 1873. It consisted
of just a single hut in its humble beginnings and gradually grew over the years into the hospital it is now. It was taken over by
the government in 1977. Generally a Christian ethic is practiced at the hospital.
WHY A FOREIGN DOCTOR SHOULD COME AND WORK FOR YOU?
He or she will gain a wide range of clinical experience
Will have the opportunity to learn from and serve a rural community
Will enjoy the benefits of being in a rural setting.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
LEVEL
MO
SMO
PMO
NUMBER
2
ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE
Have Park homes available. Can accommodate both single doctors and doctors with families.