The Division of Pulmonology is headed by Professor Keertan Dheda. The Division provides clinical services to outpatients, in patients and supports the Division of Critical care with Intensive Care Unit staffing and on-call service.
From its humble beginnings, nested in the Cardiac Clinic in the 1960’s, the Division of Pulmonology has grown into a cutting edge clinically-orientated service at the forefront of internationally competitive research and academic leadership. There are 3 full time consultants Professor Keertan Dheda, Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, and Associate Professor Greg Calligaro in addition to Dr Greg Symons (Department of Medicine), Dr Ali Esmail and Dr Phindile Gina (5/8th appointment) and Dr. Richard Raine (sessional).
Professor Keertan Dheda is also Director of the Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity (CLII) at UCT, with a joint appointment at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as a Professor of Mycobacteriology and Global Health. He is a global research leader in the in the field of TB diagnosis and transmission.
Several honorary consultants contribute to additional teaching, training, clinical service, and capacity development (Professor Rodney Dawson [Director of the UCT Lung Institute], Emeritus Professor Eric Bateman, Associate Professor Gillian Ainslie). The Division grew in stature under the visionary leadership of Professor Solly Benatar in the 1970’s and Professor Eric Bateman over two decades (preceding 2013). Publication counts have progressively increased over the past four decades from approximately 85 publications in 1980 to 1990 period, to more than 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals in 2019 alone. Members of the Division regularly publish in internationally recognised journals such as The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, PLoS Medicine, the American Journal f Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Thorax, and the European Respiratory Journal, amongst others.
Academically, the Division is internationally competitive and has among its ranks several NRF rated scientists (Prof Dheda and Emeritus Professor Bateman are A-rated. Prof van Zyl-Smit C rated), and with its members serving on several editorial boards, including AJRCCM, Thorax, European Respiratory Journal, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, but to name few. Members of the Division have been the recipients of several prestigious awards and sit on national and international academic bodies in their respective fields of interest. Several members of the Division serve on international and national guideline and advisory committees.
Clinical Services
The Division of Pulmonology primarily serves the population of the Western Cape, but also renders specialists services nationally. The clinical service provides approximately 1300 OPD visits annually, conducts ~700 pulmonary function tests annually, and undertakes 600 inpatient consultations. The Division further provides staffing and training support to the Division of Critical Care (within the department of Anaesthesia and perioperative medicine). https://health.uct.ac.za/home/anaesthesia-and-perioperative-medicine
Senior Registrars in Pulmonology complete their training hours for the critical care component of pulmonology training in the Division and Pulmonology consultants provide daytime and on call services on a rotational basis to the Division of Critical care. The Division also provides general medical services within the hospital and takes part in the general medical intake and on-call rota.
The Division has thus far trained ~40 internationally competitive sub-specialists over the last 40 years, several of whom are high ranking international faculty. The Division of Pulmonology serves a spectrum of patients, including the indigent, refugees, and also those with private medical insurance who seek the expertise of members and services within the Division.
Clinical services provided by the Division include endobronchial ultrasound-guided biopsy (EBUS TBNA), bronchial thermoplasty, Cryo-biopsy, whole lung lavage exercise physiology, sleep medicine, a comprehensive suite of pulmonary function tests, allergology services (Professor Jonny Peter), occupational health services (A/Prof Shahieda Adams), intensive care and a comprehensive suite of pulmonary care clinics (airways disease, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary vascular disease, pleural disease, smoking cessation and cystic fibrosis).
UCT Lung Institiute
The UCT Lung Institute , is allied to, and an extension of the Division which houses five major research units led by consultants, all of whom are substantial or honorary consultants with the Division. The UCT Lung Institute also houses the headquarters of the South African Thoracic Society.
Outreach
Outreach is provided to a host of hospital and clinics in the greater Cape Town area. These include:
TB clinics within the Cape Metropole
Brooklyn Chest Hospital (Cape Town)
Gordonia Hospital (Springbok)
Somerset Hospital
Victoria Hospital
Mitchells Plain Hospital
Teaching and training
The Division provides teaching and training to under-graduate students, is responsible for training general medical and pulmonology senior registrars, and there is also an active post-graduate programme in which several master’s and PhD students are enrolled. The Division takes a particular interest in training clinician scientists and several physicians or pulmonologists have recently completed their PhD’s within Divisional research units. The Division contributes to the global health or training programmes of several national and international organisations, including the ATS, BTS, ERS, GINA, GOLD, PATS etc.
Links
South African Thoracic Society:
UCT Lung Institute:
UCT Private Academic Hospital:
American Thoracic Society:
British Thoracic Society:
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Department of Medicine