By Staff Reporter
BLOEMFONTEIN — As temperatures drop, hospitals across the Free State brace for a seasonal increase in burn injuries. Most incidents occur in homes where people rely on open flames, boiling water, or paraffin stoves to keep warm, prompting health experts to urge the public to take simple precautions.
Paediatric surgeon Dr Hilge du Preez from the University of the Free State said children are particularly at risk, often injured by spilling hot liquids or falling into scalding bath water. She advised, “Parents should always turn pot handles inward, keep electrical cords and tablecloths out of reach, and when running a bath, add cold water first.” Adults, she added, are more likely to be burned by open flames or fires caused by unattended candles or unsafe stoves, especially during load-shedding.
Dr Du Preez also warned against traditional home remedies, recommending immediate and appropriate first-aid instead. Clothing and jewellery should be gently removed, the burn cooled with lukewarm water for 10 to 15 minutes, and the wound covered with a clean, damp cloth to prevent infection.
Nosicelo Madushana, a third-year medical student at UFS, knows the dangers first-hand. At age four, she sustained third-degree burns on 70% of her body after a pot of boiling water fell on her. “I was young and curious, and one pull of a cloth was enough to change my life,” she said.
Nosicelo Madushana, a third-year medical student at the UFS, was four years old when she sustained third-degree burn wounds on 70% of her body.
Despite years of bullying and physical pain, Madushana turned her experience into motivation. She has since earned three degrees; in Medical Bioscience, Virtual Reality in Computer Science, and Anatomical Pathology, and is pursuing her dream of becoming a pathologist focused on cancer research and advocacy for burn survivors.
Doctors and students alike hope that greater awareness can prevent families from suffering similar tragedies this winter.
