Huge accomplishment for local resident
Dr Ethel Andrews has been appointed as the president of the South African Burn Society.
She is extremely passionate about what she does and wants to make a difference in the world of health care, especially burn and wound care.
This is Albemarle resident Dr Ethel Andrews who has made history by being the first non-surgeon to be elected to the position of president of the South African Burn Society.
Ethel grew up in Geluksdal and after she left school she didn’t have too many choices regarding what to study.
“It was pretty much either nursing or teaching and so I chose nursing,” she said.
She definitely made the right choice because she was the first nurse to be chosen to serve on international burn platforms and holds the highest position in South Africa in her field as president of the South African Burn Society.
Ethel holds a PhD in burns, the treatment of which is her passion, but also treats other wounds.
She specialises in wound care and has two private practices – one in Mulbarton and one at the Brenthurst Hospital in Parktown.
“Wound care is my bread-and-butter profession and I see all types of wounds.
“Being in private practice gives me a bit of leeway to be able to go out and do the work I need to for the SA Burn Society,” she said.
Ethel also works as a visiting lecturer for Wits.
“The reason I do this is because historically wound care was not taught and people should treat wounds with evidence-based care as a lot of the information out there is outdated,” she said.
Ethel left nursing in 2004 after her marriage to Enver.
She said shift work made it extremely difficult for the couple to make a go of things.
“I then entered the corporate world and worked as a rep for a wound care company.
“I would travel to different hospitals where I would see different standards of wound care and this is where my desire to make a difference started.
“Everyone follows best practice; however, wound care is always changing and people should change with it.
“A standard should also be set at every medical institution so that no matter where you go, you will receive the same high standard of treatment,” she said.
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Ethel sits on the research and nursing committees for the International Society for Burn Injuries and has delivered research papers throughout the world on various topics.
As the president of the SA Burn Society she has two wishes – the first is to make the use of hot water bottles illegal, as these cause many burns and the second is to ban the use of silver sulphur diazine (an ointment used on burns) as it is not safe for patients, among other things.
She added that an important thing for people to remember when they are treating burns is to run them under cold water for 20 minutes.
After that they should cover them in cling wrap and get the person to a medical facility as soon as possible.
“If you do not have water or cling wrap available, transport them as quickly as possible to a hospital,” she said.
Ethel will hold the position of president for four years.
A big project of the SA Burn Society is the promotion of the skin and tissue bank which is situated at the University of Pretoria.
A person can donate skin upon his or her death (skin can be harvested within 24 hours of a person’s death) and one person’s skin is able to save the lives of up to 60 burnt children.
“There is a huge need for skin donations as so many children get burnt every month in South Africa,” Ethel said.
To find out more about becoming a donor, visit www.recycleme.co.za.
To do her job effectively Ethel needs to travel to burn units throughout the country to present training.
If you would like assist her to do this, you can visit www.saburnsociety.co.za.
The busy mom of Teneale (13) and Taylan (6) told the GCN that her biggest accomplishment was not getting a PhD or becoming the president of the SA Burn Society, it is in fact her children.
“If I raise my children to treat people with respect and care, I will be leaving the world a better place,” she said.
“You need to be the change you want to see.”
The family has lived in Albemarle for 13 years and Ethel said, “We have grown roots in Germiston.
“We are involved in activities in the community and I also teach junior worship at our church St Mary and at the St John Anglican Church in Lambton.
“We remember where we came from and Sundays will often see us visiting family in Geluksdal.”
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