Ward and outpatient clinic area (see floorplan)
The ward has capacity for 24 participants in 4x 6-bedded bays for studies requiring day or overnight stays. All beds have privacy curtains, lockable bedside cupboards for personal items and call buttons to a central station. Electronic synchronised clocks in the ward link through GPS with others in the pharmacy and processing laboratory. Other ward equipment includes an emergency trolley that is compliant with national and international requirements, calibrated electronic blood pressure/heart rate monitors, and a calibrated BMI scale. Restricted access to the ward is ensured by a security gate. Participants have access to a recreation room with television, DVD player and pool table. Study staff may also sleep overnight in a private room if needed. The ward area is adjacent to 9 consulting / counselling rooms in the outpatient clinic. Any study team hiring the facility will be allocated sufficient secure storage space for their own clinical supplies and files. Restricted access to a staff kitchen is controlled by way of a keypad.
Sample processing laboratory
The laboratory is managed by a qualified laboratory technologist, and is conveniently situated between the outpatient clinic area and the ward. The room is equipped with two calibrated refrigerated centrifuges, a fridge, a -20°C freezer and a -80°C freezer. All are linked to a backup generator. The equipment, and the room itself, are monitored by a continuous temperature monitoring system which sends phone/email alerts if interrupted. Security is ensured by the presence of a card access system.
Pharmacy
The licenced pharmacy, which is registered with the South African Pharmacy Council, operates within strict Good Pharmacy Practice Guidelines under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist and in a highly secured environment. There are secure ambient, refrigerator, -20°C and -80°C storage facilities. Continuous temperature and alarm systems monitor each of these ensuring that investigational medicinal products are kept at the protocol-required temperature. A biosafety cabinet is also available for the safe preparation of injectable supplies. The pharmacists are able to dispense directly to participants from semi- private dispensing bays or, if private consultation is required, there is a private pharmacy consulting room adjacent to the pharmacy.
Cardiac monitoring facilities
The Mayosi Research Group can be contacted through the CRC to provide the following non-invasive services, all managed by a trained cardiographer: ECG, exercise stress testing, holster monitoring and echocardiography. The research ward also has 10 cardiac monitors.
Meeting and board rooms
Rooms for between 8 and 25 personnel are available with teleconference facilities. These can be booked for team or client meetings or monitoring visits.
Please contact us if you would like to make use of these research facilities.