Division of Haematology
About us
The Division of Haematology at Groote Schuur Hospital is a complex unit with multi disciplinary activities that include outpatient clinics, as well as diagnostic and research laboratories. The clinical services are organised under the umbrella of the Department of Internal Medicine, while the laboratory diagnostic sections are under the broader organisation of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). In addition a University of Cape Town Leukaemia Unit established within the division, has now been reviewed and approved by the University Research Committee and will continue focusing on the area of haemopoietic stem cell biology and transplant immunology.
The diagnostic laboratories offer a comprehensive 24 hour diagnostic service to Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) and Red Cross Children's Memorial Hospital (RXH), and have become an established specialized supra-regional service to various state hospitals in this province and the Eastern Cape, as well as to private facilities. The routine laboratory functions are carried out at 2 main sites - the routine C17 laboratory at GSH and RXH laboratory, while specialized investigations including cytogenetics and molecular work are performed in the C21 laboratory at GSH.
Active participation in the Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs of the UCT is ongoing. Regular input is made to the undergraduate Problem Based Learning facilitation program and lecture modules, as well as supervision and teaching in the BSc Honours and Masters Programs. The training of Registrars remains a high priority with haematology pathology, clinical pathology and clinical haematology trainees accommodated. We have also contributed to the lecture programs of the Physicians Refresher Course, to other haematology units and to the WPBTS. Faculty members from the division also regularly contribute to the teaching programs of the Department of Internal Medicine as the registrars rotate for periods of 3 -12 months through haematology.
Research in the areas of molecular and cellular biology of haematological malignancies continues in the Leukaemia Unit laboratory funded by grants from Medical Research Council, NHLSTF and NRF. This unit has been selected as an international site by the Aids Malignancy Clinical Trials Consortium, USA and invited to participate as one of the International Working group sites in Africa. Continual re-evaluation of test methods and new instruments is ongoing in order to offer new and appropriate investigations.
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