The South African Gastroenterological Society - Academy of Digestive Diseases (SAGES-ADD) Training Center, was officially opened on 23 June 2000, at Baragwanath Hospital in the historic Soweto township. The institute was pioneered by Professor Segal, who was succeeded on his retirement by Professor Reid Ally.
The Institute renders four categories of service - patient care, which is provided daily by the gastroenterology unit for both in- and outpatients, research, teaching, and congresses and meetings. The institute provides both basic ongoing scientific research and contract research for pharmaceutical companies. The results of this work are presented at the annual South African Gastroenterological Society (SAGES) congress.
Specialist surgeons and physicians are trained at the institute and medical and surgical registrars rotate through the unit as part of the postgraduate training. Undergraduates from the University of the Witwatersrand are taught in both problem based learning modules and seminars, and the institute regularly hosts a number of undergraduates from other African countries.
Finally, the institute organizes meetings both locally and internationally via teleconferences. Weekly CPD Journal and presentation meetings are held within the unit and with private gastroenterologists. The institute holds various pharmaceutical advisory lectures through the year.
Recently, the institute was “adopted” by the South African Gastroenterological Society (SAGES) and the highly successful training program has been extended to include other centers around South Africa. The program is now known as the South African Gastroenterological Society - Academy of Digestive Diseases (SAGES-ADD).
SAGES-ADD aspires to be the driving force in gastroenterology in Southern Africa and to contribute constructively to the scientific and practical development of the discipline in the sub-Saharan Africa. SAGES, through its academy of digestive diseases strives to facilitate the training and development of gastroenterology as a discipline in the region and to provide opportunities for gastrointestinal focused training and education of primary health care workers, nurses and doctors in Africa.
The Training Center mission is:
The training center is housed on the grounds of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The facility consists of a reception area, research laboratory space, and a conference room and library. There is a computer with internet access on site. There are facilities for housing the trainees on the upper floor of the building including bedrooms, a kitchen, and a television lounge.
Endoscopy Unit
There are six rooms in the Endoscopy Unit: two for gastroscopy, one for colonoscopy, and one for ERCP with radiology. There is a room for manometery/PH and by June there should also be a room for endoscopic ultrasonography. The Endoscopy Unit also has an outpatient facility with four casualty rooms and there will be rest rooms/a kitchen for the nurses/doctors and an auditorium for teaching.
Training Center offered:
Long term training - up to two years
Post graduate gastroenterology sub-specialty training. To comply with regulations of the College of Medicine of South Africa.
Center Contact: Karin Fenton
Center Director: Professor Mashiko Setshedi
SAGES Secretariat
Phone: +27-21-404 3062
Fax: +27-21-4470582
E-mail: karin.fenton@uct.ac.za
E-mail: mashiko.setshedi@uct.ac.za
Website: www.sages.co.za
For more comprehensive information on the SAGES-ADD Training Center, including trainee application process, course offerings, and other details, please refer to the SAGES-ADD Training Center Info Package:
> SAGES-ADD ()
June 2023 Issue September 2023 Issue December 2023 Issue March 2024, June 2024
The WGO wishes to acknowledge the Munich Gastroenterology Foundation and AstraZeneca for their support and sponsorship of the WGO SAGES-ADD Training Center.