A rheumatology service in KwaZulu-Natal was initiated in the late 1960’s by Dr WG Neil and was subsequently managed by Dr I Chalmers and later Dr PD Naidoo.
There was a major impetus for the development of rheumatology with the endowment of the Aaron Beare Family Chair of Rheumatology in 1992 and the establishment of the Rheumatology Unit.
The Department of rheumatology:
The clinical services are provided by the Department of Rheumatology at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. The Department has 11 dedicated in-patient beds for rheumatology patients who are referred from all over KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. There are four outpatient clinics which are held every week -a connective tissue diseases clinic and new patients clinic are held on Mondays and follow up arthritis clinic s are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Undergraduate Courses
All the specialist staff in the Department contributes to the 3rd, 4th and 5th year internal medicine modules in the MBChB curriculum.
Postgraduate Courses
a) The Department contributes to the professional training of registrars in internal medicine who are registered for the M Med degree in Medicine
b) Supervision of postgraduate students for Masters and Doctoral degrees
3) SUB-SPECIALITY TRAINING FOR THE CERTIFICATE IN RHEUMATOLOGY
The Department is accredited for sub-speciality training in rheumatology by the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Academic Meetings
A) The regular CPD activities which are organized in the Department are as follows:
1) Wednesdays: 2 P.M. Journal Club Presentations
2) Fridays: 08.15 A.M. TO 12 NOON.
Departmental Clinical Grand Ward Round with participation by all the Consultants, Sub-speciality Fellows, Medical Registrars, Medical Officers and the nursing staff
3) Fridays: 12 NOON TO 1P.M.
a) Topic review presentations by Sub-speciality Fellows and Medical Registrars
b) Mortality meetings are held as necessary – approximately once every 1-2 months
B) The Department also participates in and makes a contribution in rotation to the academic program for medical registrars organized by the Department of Medicine as follows:
1) Mondays:
A) 08.00 a.m.to 09.00 a.m. Sub-speciality presentations at IALCH
B) 14.00 hours – Registrar clinical teaching – once a month
2) Wednesdays:
12.15 p.m. -13.15 p.m. Grand round presentations
3) Fridays:
13.30 P.M. -14.30 P.M. Problem round presentations
2022
• Prevalence of depressive symptoms and quality of life among patients with diabetes mellitus with and
without HIV infection: A South African study. Yonela Qubekile, Saeeda Paruk, Farhanah Paruk. S Afr J
Psychiatr. 2022 Feb 25;28:1762. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v28i0.1762. eCollection 2022.
• Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mfundo Mabusela, Andrew Tomita, Saeeda Paruk, Farhanah Paruk. S Afr
J Psychiatr. 2022 Feb 22;28:1702. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v28i0.1702. eCollection 2022.
• AB1031 Prevalence of Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis in African Adult Patients with Chronic
Rheumatic Diseases. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ihsane Hmamouchi, Farhanah Paruk,
Samar Tabra, K. Maatallah, A. Bouziane, R. Abouqal, Yasser El Miedany, Abdellah El Maghraoui, A. A.
Kalla. June 2022 Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 81(Suppl 1):1639.1-1639.
DOI:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.428
2021
• Consensus evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treat-to-target
management of osteoporosis in Africa: an initiative by the African Society of Bone Health and Metabolic
Bone Diseases. Y El Miedany, Farhanah Paruk, Asgar Kalla, A Adebajo, Maha El Gaafary, Abdellah El
Maghraoui, Madeleine Ngandeu, Dzifa Dey, Naglaa Gadallah, Mohamed Elwy, Farzana Moosajee,
Mohammed Hassan Abu-Zaid, Salwa Galal, Soussen Miladi, Waleed Hassan, Abubaker Fadlelmola, Sally
Saber. Arch Osteoporos. 2021 Nov 18;16(1):176. doi: 10.1007/s11657-021-01035-z.
• Prevalence and clinical risk factors for morphometric vertebral fractures in older subjects in KwaZuluNatal. Mohidin Essadi, Farhanah Paruk, Bilkish Cassim. January 2021 Journal of Endocrinology,
Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa 26(1):29-3
2020
2019
2018
2017
Recovery from severe dysphagia in systemic sclerosis – myositis overlap: a case report. Chinniah KJ,
Mody GM. Afr Health Sci. 2017 Jun;17(2):593-596. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v17i2.38. PMID: 29062359
• Comparison of ethnicity, gender, age of onset and outcome in South Africans with systemic lupus
erythematosus. A Budhoo, G M Mody, T Dubula, N Patel, P G Mody. Lupus. 2017 Apr;26(4):438-446.
doi: 10.1177/0961203316676380. Epub 2016 Nov 12
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DOCTORS, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND THE COMMUNITY
2014
Lupus Awareness day – Friday 30th May 2014, Level 4 lecture theatre, IALCH – presentations by Sr NG Mkhize, Prof G M Mody, Dr N Patel and Dr A Budhoo.
2013
a) Wentworth Hospital CME for doctors – February 2013 – Prof G M Mody
b) Osindisweni Hospital – May 2013 – Dr Neeta Patel
c) Port Shepstone Hospital 11th January 2013 – DR Rasha Maharaj
d) Department of Public Works : EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM – November 2013 – lectures presented by Dr N Patel and Sr NG Mkhize
2012
a) Mody GM – RK Khan hospital – presentation on “Ten topics in hyperuricaemia and gout” on 25th September 2012
b) Mody GM – King George V Hospital – Approach to a patient with Arthritis – October 2012
c) WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY 2012 – Our Department commemorated World Arthritis Day at IALCH in October 2012 with the provision of educational material and providing answers to questions from individual patients and staff
d) DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS – EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAMME -13TH November 2012. Lectures presented by Sr NG Mkhize and Dr N Patel
2010
a) HLABISA HOSPITAL- 24th November 2010: the Department of Rheumatology participated in:
b) RHEUMATOLOGY UPDATE FOR NURSES – 2ND November 2010- Residence Hall, IALCH. The Rheumatology Department in conjunction with the Directorate for Chronic Disease of the Ethekwini Municipality organized a program for nurses from all over Durban- from 09:00 hours to 15:00 hours. The staff from Department who presented at the update were, Prof GM Mody, Dr N Patel, Ms NGM Mkhize and Ms N Seboya
c) INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY CELEBRATION 28 May 2010 at IALCH: Dr N Patel presented a lecture on neck pain and back pain
d) ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION PUBLIC LECTURE – November 2010 : presented by Dr N Patel
2009
a) Commemoration of World Arthritis Day at PORT SHEPSTONE HOSPITAL in November 2009
b) Commemoration of World Arthritis Day at IALCH – lectures for the public –October 2009
c) Commemoration of World Lupus Day – attended by about 100 people at IALCH – June 2009
d) Prof G M Mody participated in 2 physiotherapy update seminars for public sector and private sector physiotherapists
e) Dr Neeta Patel presented a lecture on the “Current management of Rheumatoid Arthritis ‘for specialist physicians at the Medicine Update symposium in October 2009.
2008
NGWELEZANE HOSPITAL, EMPAMGENI – Public lectures on arthritis in Zulu AND Lectures to Health Professionals, October 2008
2007
ST APPOLONARIS HOSPITAL, IXOPO Osteoarthritis awareness day. Our department contributed to the event which was organized by the hospital – October 2007
The following clinics are offered at IALCH:
| Mondays | Lupus
Lupus follow up Arthritis |
|
Tuesdays |
Arthritis |
| Wednesdays |
Blood Monitoring Geriatrics |
|
Thursdays |
Arthritis |
| Name | Position | Contact number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Keith J. Chinniah | Acting Head of Department of Rheumatology | (031) 260 4520 | |
| Ms Andile Mbanjwa | Administrator | 031 260 4531 | MbanjwaA@ukzn.ac.za |
