The upgrades at the hospital over the last few years included a new surgical skills training centre, a general medical ward, a new medical imaging complex, and a child-safe research and educational centre. Sea Harvest’s sales and marketing director, Konrad Geldenhuys, says, “Our biggest consumer group are moms shopping for their children. From the start, supporting this initiative was more of a heart decision than a business decision. We admire the hospital’s legacy and the work that they do on a daily basis to save lives and make a difference in the lives of the families that have to endure the pain of seeing their child suffer.”
A portion of the profits made from the sales of selected Sea Harvest products is donated to the Children’s Hospital Trust through the Kids for Kids project. During May this year, Sea Harvest handed over a cheque of R300,000 to the Trust. “Sea Harvest has been a long-time supporter of the Children’s Hospital Trust and their commitment to the upgrade and expansion of the paediatrics ICU at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital has taken us that much closer to achieving this dream,” expresses Louise Driver, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust.
The Red Cross Children’s Hospital was the first medical institution to offer critical care, specifically for children, and in recent years the hospital has been able to drop patient mortality rates from 15% to 5%. The change in rates is as a result of improvements in the type of care and quality of treatment provided. Speaking at the launch, a parent whose daughter had just come out of three weeks in ICU after being infected by a “superbug”, tried to explain the traumatic experience his family has endured. He expressed his gratefulness to the attentiveness of the hospital staff, the supportive environment and the quality of treatment his daughter received, without which he doubted whether she would still be alive. For Sea Harvest, it was extremely rewarding to hear what the money donation will be used for, ultimately making the lives of the patients and their families better.
Sea Harvest donates a portion of sales of every box of selected coated Sea Harvest products to the Children's Hospital Trust. “Little ones can eat healthily and, at the same time, contribute to making a difference in the lives of young patients at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital,” comments Geldenhuys. Consumers will have an opportunity to contribute to the upgrade of the hospital with their purchase of a Sea Harvest product between November 2016 and February 2017.
