Meet Dr Taljaard
M.B. Ch.B. (UV). D.A (S.A.) M.Med (Paed) (UV)
Dr Pierre Taljaard is a general paediatrician in private practice offering years of experience over a broad spectrum of medicine and paediatrics to his patients from Nelspruit/Mbombela, the greater Lowveld and Mozambique.
Dr Taljaard obtained M.B. Ch.B. (UV) in 1990 and completed his internship at the Klerksdorp -Tshepong tertiary hospital. Thereafter he worked as a medical officer at Phekolong District Hospital and the Dihlabeng Regional Hospital in Bethlehem where he was actively involved in the training of intern doctors and honing his own skills in various aspects of medicine for four years. He obtained international experience at the Arborg Hospital in Manitoba, Canada, during 1997, but returned to South Africa to fulfil his dream to further his studies in paediatrics.
He qualified as a Paediatrician in 2001 at the University of the Free State and was awarded the Novartis prize as the best paediatric student in his final exams.
Passionate about the wellbeing of children, he cherishes the ongoing relationships with patients and their parents. Dr Taljaard focuses on health, growth and development, as well as neonatology and critical care. He completed several specialised courses over the years such as Neonatal Resuscitation, ANLS and PALS and attends an annual international online conference on Neonatology to keep up with the most recent development in this field. He is also a member of various professional organisations including the Paediatric Management Group of South Africa and the United South African Neonatal Association (USANA).
He consults children from birth to 13 years and continues the treatment of his long-term patients with chronic conditions well into their teens.
Dr Taljaard moved to Nelspruit with his young family in January 2002 and opened his rooms at 25 Hendrik Potgieter St Nelspruit where he still practises. He finds it beneficial that his rooms are not associated with a hospital but rather creates a homely environment. The rooms are close to all medical facilities in case of emergencies.
His children were his classroom on allergies and sensory integration problems, making Dr Taljaard sensitive and aware of the effects that sensory problems have on children and their development, sleep patterns and food preferences. He trusts a mother’s instinct regarding her children’s health and offers exceptional and patient guidance to new mothers regarding the care of their newborns.
Many of the patients he treated as children are now parents of his practice. This brings him great joy to see the circle completed. Some of the little ones now call him “Oupa” due to the fact he no longer boasts a red beard. He is at ease with this and adores their frankness and honesty.
Consultations
Appointments can be booked during office hours from Monday to Friday. Non-urgent appointments can also be requested via email. These appointments will be confirmed during the next working day.
Patients will receive a SMS reminder of the appointment 24 hours prior to the visit. Please adhere to the specified time slot or reschedule/ cancel the appointment if you are unable to keep the appointment to avoid being charged for an appointment not kept. Dr Taljaard does his utmost to keep to his daily appointment schedule as he values your time. There are, however, circumstances when a medical emergency arises that appointments might have to be rescheduled by the receptionist. Your understanding for these unforeseen circumstances is appreciated.
Please see the fee structure for more information on the terms and conditions of the practice.
Telephonic / Virtual Consultations
Patients from outlying areas may book telephonic/virtual consultations if they are unable to travel.
Please note that all telephonic/ virtual consultations will be charged at medical aid rates in accordance to the new ruling of the HPCSA.
Emergency Consultations
A limited number of time slots are kept open in the daily schedule for emergency appointments as we know children can fall ill overnight. Please phone the office at 8:00 to book an emergency appointment. If Dr Taljaard is unable to see your child, you will be referred to a colleague or the hospital’s emergency room or placed on a waiting list for the day – which ever you prefer.
For after-hours emergencies, please proceed to Nelspruit Mediclinic Emergency department where the medical officer on duty will attend to your child. The ER doctor will contact the paediatrician on call for a second opinion or admission to hospital.
General Information
Terms & Conditions
The terms and conditions of the practice can be accessed here. You will be asked to accept the agreement. This can be done electronically in the rooms or via a link sent to you via sms when you book your appointment. Please take note of the content.
Fees
The practice has payment agreements with the following Medical funds:
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Bankmed
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Discovery Key Care Specialist Network
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Discovery Flexicare Specialist Network
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Discovery Health Specialist Network
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Momentum Health (South Africa)
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Gems
If you are a member of one of the above mentioned schemes and there are funds available on your plan, we will claim directly from your fund. No co-payment is applicable.
All other medical schemes will be charged at the practice consultation rate. The practice will claim from your medical aid. Please note that your medical scheme may not cover the consultation in full and the patient may incur a co-payment as a result. Please check your specific plan’s rate prior to your visit.
The patient remains liable for the account should your medical aid decline the claim.
Some medical scheme options require a referral letter from a general practitioner or authorisation number to see a specialist paediatrician. Please adhere to your medical aid’s requirements regarding this. It is your responsibility to obtain the referral letter or authorisation number prior to the consultation. Failure to meet this requirement will result in you being liable for the full consultation fee that is payable at the time of the consultation.
In the case of an unscheduled or an emergency consultation that has to be slotted in between normal consultations, an additional charge will be added to the consultation fee.
Telephonic/ virtual consultations will be charged at medical aid rates in accordance with the new ruling of the HPCSA.
The accounts of all private patients or international patients are payable at the time of the consultation. Please inquire about the consultation rate when making your appointment.
To ensure contactless payments in the rooms you can also use the Zapper App or your bank app to scan our QR code.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for the care you gave us all our years in Nelspruit. Thomas, who is now ten, would not have been alive of it had not been for your dedication when he was born (premature). We will never ever forget this.”
29 June 2021
- Karen Lodewijks-Barker
“Ons bedank ons familie en vriende vir al hulle hulp en ondersteuning. Ons bedank ook elke liewe persoon wat ‘n skenking gemaak het om te help met MJ se mediese sorg en sy behandeling op die pad vorentoe. Ons is veral dankbaar teenoor dr. Taljaard wat altyd bereid is om die ekstra myl te stap! Hy is vir seker as ‘n engel vir kinders op hierdie aarde geplaas.”
Laevelder 2 November 2020
https://lowvelder.co.za/709149/wonderwerk-op-wonderwerk-vir-klein-mj/