The Joburg Adult CF Clinic at CMJAH has provided a high standard of treatment for around 40-60 adult state patients over a period of 17 years. The doctors have been funded by the SA Cystic Fibrosis Association Central Region over this time, with a funding requirement now in excess of R300k per annum. Funds have been raised mainly through large events requiring public participation.
“We now have insufficient funds to pay the doctors’ salaries.”
The pandemic has shut down all our main fundraisers for the foreseeable future, so although SACFA Central Region is still operational, we now have insufficient funds to pay the doctors’ salaries.
As already communicated to patients by Sister Furlonger and the doctors, adult patients will in future have to join the adult respiratory clinic in area 356 (on a Monday or a Wednesday) and join the queues at the pharmacy for their medication. The decision to close the Adult CF Clinic as of 26 November was only taken after all other avenues had been explored, including discussions with hospital management. This unfortunate closure, although inevitable, is sad not only for CF patients but also for the medical staff and SACFA Central Region, who started this clinic in 2004.
Thanks to those who kept this clinic running
Dr Baird, Dr Gouws and Sister Furlonger have done a fantastic job running the Adult CF clinic over so many years, and SACFA is most grateful to them for providing this service with meagre financial reward. It was about true dedication, not monetary gain.
We will not be able to get this clinic going again unless there is a guaranteed annual income of over R300K for at least 5 years. Fundraising up to now has been left to a handful of Central Region committee members (past and present) who work purely on a voluntary basis.