An increase in electrical burns during the covid lockdown in Western Cape, South Africa.

Background: A severe Covid lockdown in South Africa may have changed burn patterns due to the downturn of the economy and stay-at-home policies. We describe the volume and type of burn admitted to a tertiary hospital before and during the Covid lockdown.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study from before (April 2019-March 2020) and during (April 2020-March 2021) the Covid pandemic.

The impact of a decentralised orthopaedic service on tertiary referrals in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: In South Africa (SA), district hospitals (DHs) have limited capacity to manage the high burden of traumatic injuries. Scaling up decentralised orthopaedic care could strengthen trauma systems and improve timely access to essential and emergency surgical care (EESC). Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, SA, has the highest trauma burden in the Cape Metro East health district.