PatchSA https://patchsa.org/ People who care supporting people who care Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:27:53 +0000 en-ZA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 A First-of-Its-Kind Course: Launching Children’s Palliative Care for EMS Providers https://patchsa.org/a-first-of-its-kind-course-launching-childrens-palliative-care-for-ems-providers/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:33:03 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7591 PatchSA is proud to announce the launch of Children’s Palliative Care for EMS Providers, a unique, first-of-its-kind asynchronous online course designed specifically for emergency medical services professionals who wish to learn how to provide excellent out-of-hospital and pre-hospital care for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. This groundbreaking course has been developed with the [...]

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]]> New South African research on EMS and Palliative Care https://patchsa.org/new-south-african-research-on-ems-and-palliative-care/ Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:02:46 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7581 Image: Caleb Gage (PhD Emergency Medicine) who is lead author and interviewer for the research When families are caring for someone with a life-limiting illness, moments of crisis can feel overwhelming. A sudden deterioration, uncontrolled symptoms, or sheer caregiver exhaustion may lead to one urgent decision: calling Emergency Medical Services (EMS). However, what [...]

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]]> Compassion in action: A PatchSA WhatsApp community story https://patchsa.org/marking-courage-a-patchsa-community-story/ https://patchsa.org/marking-courage-a-patchsa-community-story/#respond Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:26:10 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7561 A simple WhatsApp message sparked a moment of extraordinary kindness, showing how the South African children’s palliative care community cares for the smallest details, and have the biggest hearts. PatchSA hosts a WhatsApp group for its members, a powerful community of people who care deeply for children needing palliative care and for the families [...]

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]]> https://patchsa.org/marking-courage-a-patchsa-community-story/feed/ 0 Grief, Loss, and Bereavement – A Reflection https://patchsa.org/grief-loss-bereavement-a-reflection/ https://patchsa.org/grief-loss-bereavement-a-reflection/#respond Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:35:42 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7498 This reflection on her own losses, practice, and learning was written by Dr Lauren O'Brien after completing the PatchSA 9-month Comprehensive Course on Paediatric Palliative Care in 2025.  I have had a few losses in my life. The most significant was that my beloved father died of Colon Cancer when I was 22 yrs [...]

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]]> https://patchsa.org/grief-loss-bereavement-a-reflection/feed/ 0 Read our 2025 Annual Report https://patchsa.org/2025-annual-report/ https://patchsa.org/2025-annual-report/#respond Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:13:20 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7483 It has been a productive and meaningful twelve months for PatchSA, and we are delighted to share highlights of our work, growth, and progress in our 2025 Annual Report. We hope you will take the time to explore it and learn more about our key accomplishments, which include: Participation in the National Department of [...]

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]]> https://patchsa.org/2025-annual-report/feed/ 0 Online learning in paediatric and perinatal palliative care offered through Patch Academy https://patchsa.org/online-learning-in-paediatric-and-perinatal-palliative-care-offered-through-patch-academy/ Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:27:51 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7462 Patch Academy is our online learning platform that offers professional training in children’s palliative care. It provides courses for a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, as well as for families and individuals who care for children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. Since 2021, over 4,600 healthcare professionals from 45 countries have advanced their skills through [...]

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]]> Creativity, Compassion, and Community Spirit Shine at Durban #HatsOn4CPC Fun Walk https://patchsa.org/creativity-compassion-and-community-spirit-shine-at-durban-hatson4cpc-fun-walk/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:51:15 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7438 Despite the occasional drizzle, the Durban beachfront promenade was alive with excitement, laughter, and creativity on Sunday, 12 October, as more than 250 walkers joined the #HatsOn4CPC Fun Walk to raise awareness and funds for children’s palliative care in KwaZulu-Natal and across South Africa. Organised by Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA) and Umduduzi [...]

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]]> Successful 2025 South African Palliative Care Conference wraps in Durban https://patchsa.org/2025-south-african-palliative-care-conference/ Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:41:57 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7112 The 2025 South African Palliative Care Conference, held from June 18 to June 21 at the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani Hotel in Durban, brought together around 350 healthcare providers including doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, counsellors, researchers, and policymakers to focus on both adult and paediatric palliative care. The conference was a collaborative [...]

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]]> Experts Meet to Review and Rewrite Policy on Palliative Care https://patchsa.org/experts-meet-to-review-and-rewrite-palliative-care-policy-on-palliative-care/ Wed, 21 May 2025 14:41:57 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=7078 A group of palliative care experts from public, private and NGO sectors met in Pretoria last week for a 3-day Palliative Care Policy Review Workshop hosted by the South African National Department of Health. Participants travelled from across the country to review the National Policy Framework and Strategy on Palliative Care (2017–2022), identify existing gaps, [...]

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]]> We mourn the loss of Dr Mehnaaz Ally https://patchsa.org/we-mourn-the-loss-of-dr-mehnaaz-ally/ https://patchsa.org/we-mourn-the-loss-of-dr-mehnaaz-ally/#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 13:44:17 +0000 https://patchsa.org/?p=6896 We are still in shock as we come to terms with the untimely death of Dr Mehnaaz Ally, a much loved and admired paediatric palliative care doctor who has been a part of PatchSA since 2018. On the morning of Thursday 7 February, we received the news that our friend, colleague, and recently appointed [...]

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