Gastroenterology services are co-ordinated and managed within the overall referral system through the District Hospitals throughout the Province to Regional and the Tertiary/Central Hospital Services.
Gastroenterology procedures are provided in collaboration with the Department of Specialised Surgery at IALCH within the Durban Functional Region.
The Gastroenterology Department services primarily Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital with some contribution to gastroenterology services at King Edward VIII Hospital
GI OUT-PATIENT SERVICE:
A secondary level clinic is run on a weekly basis on a Monday morning at King Edward VIII Hospital.
A tertiary Gastroenterology/Hepatology clinic is held weekly on a Thursday at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital.
Service Delivery
Gastroenterology services are co-ordinated and managed within the overall referral system from the District Hospitals throughout the Province through the Regional and the Tertiary/Central Hospital Services.
Gastroenterological procedures are currently provided in collaboration with the Department of Specialised Surgery at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central hospital. A wide variety of endoscopic procedures are provided daily Monday to Friday at IALCH and we provide endoscopy service at King Edward VII Hospital on Fridays.
Gastroenterology Specialist Outpatient Services: Consultative Services: One clinic per week at King Edward VIII and Inkosi Albert Luthuli respectively for acute and chronic diseases.
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital
The GI Unit at IALCH provides an endoscopic service to the following categories of patients:
Patients referred to the GI Clinic because of the complexity/severity of the underlying problem which needs a Gastroenterologist’s opinion.
Patients referred from other tertiary out-patient services at IALCH.
In-patients at IALCH who require urgent endoscopy.
Complex or technically difficult procedures which require a high degree of expertise and competence such as Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography and Endoscopic ultrasound
Oesophageal laboratory – including motility and pH studies
Ano-rectal motility studies
Other services include: Endoscopic variceal banding, endoscopic submucosal dissection, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic cyst drainage, balloon assisted enteroscopy, video capsule endoscopy
There are also 8 dedicated in-patient beds for admissions for gastroenterological conditions
Academic Programme
Monday 14h00-15h00 Histology meetings – 4 times a year
Tuesday 8am Combined Medico-Surgical Teaching Grand Round
Wednesday PM Internal Medicine Academic afternoon
Thursday 12 noon GI Journal Club
Friday 8 am X-Ray meeting
The Department also organises a monthly academic meeting of Public and Private sector gastroenterologists and Physicians/surgeons with an interest in gastroenterology. This is held on the second Wednesday each month at 18H30 at various venues
