Category: Hospitals

Categories : Hospitals Surgeries & ProceduresTags : Leave a comment

Scheduling Surgeons: Researchers Identify Factors for Hospital Efficiency

On By ModernMedia

Booking operating rooms with surgical precision starts with more accurate predictions of how surgeons spend their time

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have analysed nearly 86 500 surgeries at Baystate Medical Center to identify the top factors that influence inefficiencies in surgeon schedules. Having an efficiently organised surgical schedule has the potential to lower costs and reduce surgeon burnout, which would also improve patient outcomes.

As shortfalls in the availability of surgeons grow, the ability to meet surgical demands will only worsen, with implications for both healthcare delivery and costs.

This illustrates the timeline of two surgeries performed by the same surgeon. The blue area represents the duration of the actual surgery itself, while the white blocks represent pre- and post-surgery activity.  Surgeon gap time is the time interval between two operations where the surgeon is not actively working.

“The most expensive part in this process of getting a surgery is the surgeon,” says Muge Capan, assistant professor in the Riccio College of Engineering at UMass Amherst and an author of the new paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. “Surgeons are highly skilled and they perform high-risk tasks. When we think about utilising a resource, we don’t want them to sit idle – but we also don’t want to overutilise them because these are not machines, these are people. Finding that right balance is a challenging problem.”

However, to efficiently schedule, hospitals need to predict how long a procedure will take. This includes the surgery itself as well as many other factors that surround an operation – has the surgeon recovered from their previous operation? Is the room clean? Is the proper equipment in place? “There is a lot of uncertainty there at the system level,” says Capan.

Currently, surgeries are scheduled in blocks, which is not compatible with the unpredictable nature of a hospital. “If you’re scheduling tennis lessons, it works because a tennis lesson is exactly one hour,” says Capan. “You block the court for one hour, you play, you leave, next group. But blocks don’t make sense for surgeries, because they’re so uncertain.” As a result, operating rooms (ORs) can sit empty since any block of time less than two-and-a-half hours is unusable for most surgeries.

In the pursuit of engineering a better schedule, Capan and her team collaborated with surgeons to predict their schedule by focusing on the person, not the operating room.

Surgeons are highly skilled and they perform high-risk tasks… we don’t want them to sit idle – but we also don’t want to overutilise them because these are not machines, these are people. Finding that right balance is a challenging problem.

Muge Capan, assistant professor in the Riccio College of Engineering at UMass Amherst

“There’s so much research on the operating room itself – what happens between the time a patient leaves the OR to the time the next patient enters the OR,” says Jonathan Akhagbosu, first author on the paper and UMass Amherst industrial engineering Ph.D. candidate. “But we wanted to look at it from a surgeon’s point of view: What happens between when a surgeon finishes one case and proceeds to the next case?”

The researchers named this time between operations “gap time.” In their study, they used machine learning to analyse three years of medical records from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield to determine the characteristics of a surgery that can predict these gaps in a surgeon’s schedule. 

A selection of the top factors associated with larger gap times are: if the surgeon’s previous or following case is an emergency, the preceding surgery is related to the chest (thorax), the following procedure is on the heart, or the surgery is highly demanding. 

Also, the last factor on the list – the assessment of how taxing an operation is on the surgeon – the researchers used mathematical models to create a new measurement called surgical case demand. Cases fall into one of three tiers. Type 1 consists of short, scheduled procedures of low-severity illness and elective surgeries, such as the removal of fatty lumps from the skin (lipoma excision) or simple dental rehabilitation. Type 2 events are more demanding, such as a mastectomy or knee replacement. And type 3 surgeries are the most onerous: the condition is more severe and they happen during off-hour times. Examples include emergency brain or abdominal operations and spine procedures.

It’s also worth noting that eye (ophthalmology) and orthopedic surgeries were associated with shorter gap times.

Capan envisions that predicting schedules can help recapture some of this lost time. “If there’s going be a gap, let’s figure out if that gap is long enough that I could squeeze in something else,” says Capan. “This is called ‘collectible time’ in the literature. Collectible time means it’s a useful gap. So what we learned about gap time could potentially help us understand collectible time.”

By Julia Westbrook 

Source: University of Massachusetts

Categories : HospitalsTags : Leave a comment

The Charlotte Maxeke Fire Should Have Been a National Turning Point – Is SA Now Ready to Listen?

On By ModernMedia
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. (Photo: Gauteng Department of Health)

By Haseena Majid and Mogie Subban

The fire that engulfed parts of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital was never just a fire, it was a warning, argue Dr Haseena Majid and Professor Mogie Subban. Five years later, the real question they say is whether South Africa is prepared to listen.

The fire that ripped through parts of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in April 2021 should have been a national turning point. Instead, five years later, we were confronted with explosive findings from the Public Protector confirming that the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and the Gauteng Department of Health delayed repairs, fought internally over responsibilities, and failed to spend almost half of the approximately R666.7 million budget allocated to restore the hospital.

The Public Protector’s report revealed that by March 2024, only about 49% of the ringfenced funds had been spent despite the hospital’s catastrophic service disruptions. At the same time, Charlotte Maxeke’s Head of Internal Medicine Professor Adam Mahomed, who lodged the complaint with the Public Protector, publicly described overcrowded wards, exhausted clinicians, and a hospital effectively surviving through improvisation rather than recovery.

These are not isolated failures. They point to deeper governance weaknesses within public administration.

The question that inevitably arises is how these failures have persisted for so long, given that South Africa’s governance framework is not lacking in legal safeguards.

South Africa’s governance framework already contains extensive mechanisms for oversight and accountability. Section 195 of the Constitution demands accountability, transparency and efficient resource use. Section 217 governs fair and cost-effective procurement. The Public Finance Management Act regulates expenditure and financial accountability. The Public Administration Management Act strengthened ethics, norms and oversight within public administration. The Auditor-General and Public Protector both play critical roles in identifying maladministration and safeguarding accountability. These frameworks are designed to ensure that information flows upward, warning signs trigger intervention and accountability occurs before systems fail.

Yet, the reality tells a different story. Five years after the Charlotte Maxeke fire, hundreds of millions of rand allocated for restoration remained underutilised. Procurement scandals at Tembisa Hospital allegedly operated for years before attracting national attention. Medicine stockouts continue despite multiple reporting structures. More than 240 000 people are reportedly waiting for cataract surgery in one province, while public hospitals continue to lose skilled personnel as infrastructure deteriorates.

Even more troubling is the time it takes before these failures become visible for some form of action to follow. The asbestos scandal in the Free State, corruption at Transnet and Eskom, and the alleged procurement networks at Tembisa all reveal the same pattern: accountability mechanisms kick in long after the damage has already been done.

These failures point to deeper systemic weaknesses. They reflect institutions that have struggled to respond effectively and correct themselves. And every delayed intervention carries human consequences. Cancelled operations, interrupted treatment, avoidable disability, burnout among healthcare workers, lost productivity and preventable deaths are not abstract administrative failures. They are the lived consequences of governance failure.

What to do

The question confronting South Africa is not whether another report or task team is required. The country has already produced no shortage of investigations, commissions and oversight findings. The real challenge is whether institutions are willing and able to act on what is already known.

A capable health system rests on several pillars: skilled staff, functioning infrastructure, sustainable financing, effective programmes, reliable procurement systems, coherent policy implementation and operational coordination. Yet even when these pillars exist, the entire structure remains vulnerable if the systems responsible for integration, oversight and accountability are weak.

Modern health systems are increasingly complex institutions requiring both clinical excellence and strong governance capability. Expertise in organisational systems, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and institutional accountability should therefore be viewed not as alternatives to clinical expertise, but as interdependent capabilities essential for institutional resilience.

Money matters. Infrastructure matters. Human resources matter. Technology matters. But without institutions capable of coordinating, overseeing and acting, crises simply repeat themselves.

What South Africa needs is more than another cycle of crisis management. It needs a renewal of governance itself. That means stronger alignment between roles, competencies and institutional responsibilities, protected oversight pathways and consequence management that operates before catastrophe rather than after it. It means rebuilding a public service culture in which accountability is not treated as an inconvenience, but as the moral backbone of a constitutional democracy.

*Majid is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal specialising in public administration and systems governance. She is a Global Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity and Social Justice at Tekano. Her research focuses on stakeholder mapping, disaster resilience and strengthening governance systems through collaborative public-sector approaches. Subban is an Academic Mentor and Public Governance Expert, at the College of Law and Management Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Note: Spotlight aims to deepen public understanding of important health issues by publishing a variety of views on its opinion pages. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily shared by the Spotlight editors.

Republished from Spotlight under a Creative Commons licence.

Read the original article.

Categories : Hospitals Mental HealthTags : Leave a comment

Emergency Doctors Are Stressed out – And Patient Irritation Plays a Significant Role

On By ModernMedia

Research finds physicians with peevish patients were more likely to become disengaged in the patients’ care

Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash

HBO’s emergency-department drama “The Pitt” has become a smash hit in large part because it shows the deeply human toll that emergency medicine exacts from those who practice it. While researchers have long known that real-life ER doctors are affected by many of the stresses that “The Pitt” has so effectively captured, a recent study led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and published in BMJ: Quality & Safety is the first to design an interactive and controlled experimental method to test how irritable patients – those displaying frustration or anger – affect the emotions of those treating them, and thus, potentially, the effectiveness of care they receive.

The emergency department has always been one of the most stressful places to work in any hospital – one never knows what sorts of injuries, or how many of them, each shift will hold. Additionally, these spaces have increasingly been on the frontlines of various economic and social crises, including the lack of health insurance and skyrocketing medical costs, immigration and law enforcement and increasing needs for mental health and addiction services. One of the results of all of this is that patients are increasingly irritable, and too often take their frustrations out on caregivers.

“Emotions are an inherent part of our lives – they’re what makes us human,” says Linda Isbell, Feldman-Vorwerk Family Professor in Social Psychology at UMass Amherst and the paper’s lead author. “But for too long, the medical culture has expected doctors to leave their emotions at the door. This is just unrealistic.”

It seems reasonable to conclude that when physicians experience stress in response to patient irritation, the quality of patient care suffers, and there is good anecdotal evidence to support that. But until Isbell and her co-authors, including emergency medicine doctors from the UMass Chan Medical School and the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, began their study, there were no reliable controlled experiments that had rigorously studied how patient behaviour affects physicians’ emotions and patient care.

For too long, the medical culture has expected doctors to leave their emotions at the door. This is just unrealistic.

 Linda Isbell, Feldman-Vorwerk Family Professor in Social Psychology at UMass Amherst and the paper’s lead author

The team designed a novel approach that began with professional “standardised patients”, people who are specially trained to play patients with realistic, specific medical conditions. Four standardised patients were each trained to perform in one clinical case that corresponded to one of four different diagnoses. Each “patient” was trained to perform two different roles: someone calmly seeking medical care, and someone behaving irritability with their physician. 

“What’s most important here is that each standardised patient, no matter whether they were playing their calm or irritable role, provided the same exact medical details,” says Isbell. “The only thing they changed was their emotional condition.” 

Isbell and her colleagues video-recorded these patient encounters and then recruited 134 emergency medicine physicians from 46 U.S. states. Each physician was randomly assigned a set of four recorded patient encounters, two of which were from calm patients, two from the far more irritable group. 

The physicians were then asked to order clinical tests, for which they received results, and continuously assess their patients, just as they would do in a real-life setting. 

Finally, Isbell and her team asked the physicians to report on their emotional state and engagement with each patient. With this information, researchers examined whether or not physicians’ emotional responses, clinical assessments or clinical behaviours shifted when they were assessing irritable patients versus calmer ones.

What they found is that irritable patients make physicians feel worse. Those physicians reported increased levels of anger, anxiety and fatigue. Doctors were also less engaged in their irritable patient’s care, and much more likely to find their patients unreliable in terms of reporting their own symptoms. Physicians with irritable patients were more likely to interpret their patient’s pain as exaggerated, find them less cooperative, less engaged in their own care or willing to adhere to a treatment plan, and less likely to return to work.

Furthermore, those physicians who were more susceptible to finding medical uncertainty stressful experienced a greater emotional toll when their patients were difficult.

More research is needed to better understand how all of this affects patient care, but, as Isbell put it, “the interaction between a patient’s behaviour and a doctor’s ability to tolerate stress associated with medical uncertainty is critical.” Doctors who are especially vulnerable to stress are likely to experience their difficult patients as more challenging and emotionally taxing – fuelling a cycle that could lead to worse patient outcomes.

“Medicine is inherently uncertain and emotional,” says Isbell, “especially in the ER. We need a systemic shift that acknowledges the human reality of uncertainty and emotions in medicine and supports both doctors and patients as they work toward a common goal: health and well-being for all.”

Source: University of Massachusetts

Categories : Hospitals Infection ControlTags :

Brushing Your Teeth in Hospital Could Reduce the Chance of Catching Pneumonia

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Stephen Andrews on Unsplash

Brett Mitchell, University of Newcastle; Allen Cheng, Monash University; Nicole White, Queensland University of Technology; Peta Ellen Tehan, Monash University, and Philip Russo, Monash University

You go to hospital for treatment and to get better. But sometimes, you get something much less welcome: an infection.

Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, is one of the most common and deadly infections people develop in hospital. Around 50 000 patients contract pneumonia in Australian hospitals every year. Around 1900 of them die from it.

It’s rarely monitored and rarely reported. And to date, few studies have looked at how it can be prevented.

But our new trial, published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, shows a surprisingly simple action can make a major difference: brushing patients’ teeth.

We found this can reduce the chance of getting this type of pneumonia, called non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, by 60%.

What is this type of pneumonia?

Non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia occurs in patients who aren’t on a ventilator, usually outside of intensive care settings.

Patients are infected when bacteria from the mouth or throat are breathed into the lungs.

Patients who develop this type of pneumonia stay in hospital between ten and 48 days longer, and are around eight times more likely to die during their admission.

A simple intervention made a big difference

We studied 8,870 patients across three Australian hospitals to see whether improving oral care – which included tooth-brushing – could reduce this type of pneumonia.

Usually, when patients go to hospital, they don’t pack a toothbrush – especially in emergencies.

In busy hospital wards, oral care isn’t always given the attention it needs, nor are oral care products always readily available. Patients don’t always get reminders to brush their teeth and many patients need help with their oral care.

The intervention in our study was deliberately simple. We:

  • gave patients in hospital a toothbrush and toothpaste in a bag when they were admitted
  • educated patients and hospital staff about the importance of tooth-brushing. The toothbrush also had a written prompt on it – “Brush away pneumonia”
  • assisted patients who needed help with tooth-brushing
  • audited how oral care was being delivered and gave feedback to hospital wards.

We introduced the intervention into one ward at a time over 12 months at each hospital. This gradual roll-out is known as a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial. It can test new health interventions when it’s too difficult to randomise individuals without revealing who is receiving the intervention and who isn’t.

We found that this relatively simple intervention increased the proportion of people who cleaned their teeth from 16% to 62%.

This increasing oral care led to a 60% reduction in the risk of acquiring pneumonia, from the equivalent of eight infections per month on a typical ward of 30 patients, to less than four infections per month.

This is the largest trial of its kind and the first completed across multiple hospitals.

Why does brushing teeth help?

The mouth is home to billions of bacteria. Oral hygiene often deteriorates when people are unwell, sedated, immobile, or taking certain medications.

When this happens, bacteria build up on the teeth, gums and tongue. If these bacteria are breathed in – even in tiny amounts – they can cause pneumonia.

Daily tooth-brushing reduces this bacteria. It’s a simple mechanical action with a powerful protective effect.

Yet in busy hospitals, oral care is often overlooked. Patients may not know just how important oral care is. Staff are often busy with competing priorities and oral care can be de-prioritised. There is also a general lack of understanding about the importance of oral care.

Patients can help protect themselves

One of the most important messages from our research is patients aren’t powerless. While health-care staff such as nurses play a crucial role, patients who are able to brush their own teeth can meaningfully reduce their own risk.

If you or a loved one is admitted to hospital, you can:

  • bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste
  • brush your teeth twice a day if you’re able
  • ask staff for help if you can’t
  • remind staff if oral care has been missed.

These small actions can reduce the risk of a serious, life-threatening infection.

What happens next?

Pneumonia is costly – in lives, hospital days and the financial cost of care. But because non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia isn’t routinely reported, it’s often invisible.

Our research challenges the assumption that hospital-acquired pneumonia is an unavoidable complication when you go to hospital.

It also highlights the need for hospitals to monitor non-ventilator hospital-acquired infections, in the same way they monitor falls, pressure injuries and other preventable harms.

Finally, our study strengthens the case for including oral care in national infection-prevention guidelines and nursing practice.

Oral care isn’t glamorous, expensive or technologically advanced – but it works. Sometimes, the simplest interventions are the most powerful.

Brett Mitchell, Professor of Nursing and Health Services Research, University of Newcastle; Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University; Nicole White, Associate Professor of Statistics, Queensland University of Technology; Peta Ellen Tehan, Senior Lecturer, Monas University, Monash University, and Philip Russo, Professor, Director of Research, Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Categories : HospitalsTags :

Air Liquide Deploys its Access Oxygen Programme in Madagascar to Improve Oxygen Access in Rural Areas

On By ModernMedia
Photo: Supplied.

Access to oxygen is an essential component of any healthcare system. Yet, more than half of the global population still lacks access to an oxygen source1. To address this public health challenge, which is supported by the World Health Organization, Air Liquide is launching its social impact programme, Access Oxygen, in Madagascar. Relying on a local ecosystem, this program, already deployed in Senegal, Kenya, Mali, and South Africa, mobilises the Group’s longstanding expertise in medical gases to provide reliable, affordable and sustainable access to oxygen for populations in low- and middle-income countries. This initiative fully aligns with Air Liquide’s societal commitment.

In Madagascar, the initiative is being inaugurated in eight primary healthcare centres in the Antsirabe region, south of Antananarivo. These small, community-based facilities (2 to 6 beds), serving a population of 215 000, are particularly isolated and far from hospital infrastructure. They often represent the first point of access to healthcare for patients living in rural areas.

Until now, these centres lacked access to oxygen, despite its vital role in combating maternal and infant mortality. The introduction of this solution will allow for the care and stabilisation of patients experiencing respiratory distress in premature infants, complications related to childbirth, and conditions requiring temporary respiratory support, such as pneumonia or acute and chronic respiratory crises. Once stabilised, patients could be transferred to hospitals for long-term treatment.

Access Oxygen provides a comprehensive, frugal, and autonomous oxygen therapy solution. It includes the supply of equipment (in this case, high-flow oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters, and consumables necessary for care), as well as training for healthcare staff and technicians. For the first time, the project integrates photovoltaic panels and batteries, ensuring continuity of care even in the absence of a stable power supply. In addition, training for healthcare professionals is delivered by an Air Liquide expert. In Madagascar, Hospiteq will handle the distribution, technical maintenance, and monitoring of the medical devices. The healthcare centres are part of the Ekar Santé network.

Diana Schillag, Executive Committee Member, overseeing Sustainability, stated: ”Making oxygen more accessible where it is most needed is essential to help build sustainable healthcare systems. This is why I am particularly proud of the roll-out of Access Oxygen in Madagascar. Since its launch in 2017, this social impact program has already covered areas with a total population of more than 3.4 million people in low- and middle-income countries. This initiative perfectly illustrates Air Liquide’s societal commitment and gives it its full meaning: leveraging our historical expertise in healthcare to make a real difference for local communities.”

1 Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security Graham H, King C, Rahman A et al. “Reducing global inequities in medical oxygen access: the Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security”. The Lancet Global Health, 2025; 13, e528-e584

Categories : Hospitals Medical IndustryTags :

SAMED Calls for Urgent Action as Gauteng Health Supplier Debt Crisis Reaches Critical Point

On By ModernMedia

The South African Medical Technology Industry Association (SAMED) has called for urgent and measurable action to resolve the escalating supplier debt crisis within Gauteng’s public health system, warning that continued delays in payments and procurement failures are placing both healthcare delivery and supplier sustainability at serious risk.

The call comes ahead of the Gauteng Department of Health’s hospital-level engagements with suppliers on 27 May, following MEC for Health and Wellness Faith Mazibuko’s recent acknowledgement that approximately R8 billion is owed to suppliers.

SAMED’s latest member data shows that R245 517 666.12 is owed to 27 medical technology suppliers, with a significant portion overdue well beyond the public sector’s 30-day payment requirement. Many affected suppliers are South African SMEs now operating under severe financial strain, forced to absorb the consequences of systemic procurement and payment failures while continuing to supply essential medical devices, diagnostics, consumables, and other critical technologies needed for patient care.

While SAMED welcomes the Department’s willingness to engage directly with suppliers, the association stresses that these discussions must lead to concrete commitments and operational action.

For SAMED and its members, this crisis is not new.

The association has spent more than a decade raising concerns about systemic procurement dysfunction, delayed payments, weak supply chain controls, and administrative failures that continue to undermine the effective functioning of the public healthcare system.

Today, those longstanding failures have evolved into a critical risk for both the healthcare sector and the businesses that support it.

In some cases, suppliers are delivering urgently needed products to hospitals while administrative bottlenecks make timely payment structurally impossible. This is particularly acute where delayed purchase orders, including for consignment stock arrangements, create a mismatch between supply delivery and budget allocation.

Monica Lucas, SAMED Board Member said, “SAMED members have continued supporting public healthcare under extraordinary financial strain because patient care cannot simply pause. But suppliers cannot indefinitely act as the financiers of a dysfunctional system. This is no longer just a debt issue; it is a structural operational failure that requires urgent executive intervention.”

Following the Department’s engagement with service providers on 23 May, SAMED has formally written to MEC Mazibuko requesting greater transparency on the Department’s debt reduction plans, and stronger accountability across finance, supply chain management, and hospital leadership.

SAMED will participate constructively in the upcoming hospital engagements and remains committed to finding practical solutions in partnership with government.

However, the association cautions that engagement without accountability will not restore supplier confidence.

After years of repeated commitments and limited progress, the sector requires clear timelines, written commitments, and measurable implementation.

“Direct engagement with leadership is welcome, but suppliers need more than reassurance. We need transparency, accountability, and a credible plan to resolve both the immediate debt burden and the underlying operational failures that continue to create it. Without that, the risks to healthcare continuity will only deepen.” – Scott de Oliveira, SAMED Chairperson

SAMED is calling for immediate action, including:

  • Publication of a verified and transparent debt position
  • A time-bound repayment plan for outstanding supplier debt
  • Executive oversight of hospital procurement and payment failures
  • Improved responsiveness from finance and supply chain leadership
  • Structured follow-up engagements with measurable progress reporting

SAMED remains committed to constructive engagement but warns that the public healthcare system cannot continue relying on suppliers to absorb systemic dysfunction indefinitely.

This week’s engagements must mark the beginning of real corrective action, not another cycle of discussion.

Categories : HospitalsTags :

Netcare Appoints Melanie Da Costa as Chief Executive Officer

On By ModernMedia

Long-serving executive takes the helm at one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare groups

Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital

Johannesburg, 19 May 2026: Netcare Limited, one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare groups, has appointed long-serving executive Melanie Da Costa as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), succeeding Dr Richard Friedland who steps down at the end of 2026 after three decades at the helm.

Da Costa, currently Executive Director: Strategy and Health Policy, will assume the role of CEO Designate on 1 June 2026, working alongside Dr Friedland through a six-month transition. She formally takes over as CEO on 1 January 2027, with Dr Friedland retiring from the Board on 31 December 2026. On the Board’s request, Dr Friedland has agreed to fulfil the role of strategic advisor to the Board and CEO for six months thereafter on a consultancy basis from 1 January until 30 June 2027.

The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for South African healthcare. The sector is navigating the implementation of the National Health Insurance Act, evolving regulatory and funding dynamics, and the rapid acceleration of digital health, data and AI. With more than two decades of experience spanning funder negotiations, health policy, capital markets, and operational leadership, Da Costa is widely seen within the industry as among the most experienced candidates to take on the role.

“Ms Da Costa is a respected industry leader with the capacity to deliver operational excellence, disciplined capital allocation and continued execution of Netcare’s strategy in service of our patients, partners, employees, medical aid schemes and suppliers,” said Alex Maditsi, Chairman of the Netcare Board. “She brings strategic acumen, commercial discipline, a growth mindset and a deep appreciation of the role that health technology and innovation play in driving differentiation and sustainable growth. Over more than 20 years at Netcare, she has made an extraordinary contribution to the Group, earning broad based  respect across the organisation and among its stakeholders. She is, without question, the right person to lead Netcare into the future.”

Da Costa, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) who holds a Master of Commerce from the University of South Africa and a BCom Honours from the University of the Witwatersrand, says it is a privilege to take on the role at such a consequential moment for the sector.

“It is the honour of my career to be entrusted with leading Netcare,” she said. “Our sector is being reshaped by policy reform, by the expectations of the people we serve and by the extraordinary possibilities that digital and data-driven care now open up. Netcare’s strategy is clear, our people are exceptional and our commitment to person centred health and care is unwavering.

“I have had the privilege of working alongside Richard for two decades. The Netcare he leaves is not the Netcare he found – he and the team have built it into one of the most respected healthcare organisations on the continent. I am profoundly grateful for his mentorship and committed to building on the extraordinary foundation he and the team have laid.”

Da Costa joined Netcare in 2006 to establish its Health Policy Unit and has since played a key role in shaping national health policy through evidence-based engagement with policymakers, regulators and funders. She subsequently led the Group’s acquisition of mental health provider Akeso and served as its Managing Director. She is a member of Netcare’s Finance Committee, serves on the National Renal Care Board and is a former Chairperson of the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA).

Dr Friedland’s retirement closes one of the most consequential chapters in South African private healthcare. A co-founder of Netcare, he has led the Group for more than three decades, building it into a leading and respected healthcare provider employing more than 18 000 people. Under his stewardship, Netcare founded several new divisions, including Netcare 911, Netcare Diagnostics and Netcare Plus, and established itself as an internationally recognised leader in environmental sustainability and digital innovation in healthcare.

“Dr Friedland pioneered and led the development of the Group’s long-term person centred health and care strategy, underpinned by digitisation, data and AI-driven innovation, which has positioned Netcare at the forefront of healthcare transformation,” Maditsi said.

“He also initiated and led the Group’s environmental sustainability strategy, which has positioned Netcare as a global leader in this field. We also acknowledge his inspirational leadership from the frontline of Netcare and the broader healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board thanks him for a lifetime of service to Netcare, to our patients and to our country.”

Dr Friedland said he is confident he is leaving Netcare in the strongest possible hands.

“Melanie is an exceptional leader and a person of deep integrity. I have watched her grow from establishing our Health Policy Unit to becoming one of the most respected voices in South African healthcare,” he said.

“She understands Netcare – our people, our purpose, our strategy and the contribution we make to the country. Netcare is more than a company; it is a community of more than 18 000 people who turn up every day to care for others. I will hand over the leadership of that community with pride and with absolute confidence in Melanie’s ability to take it forward.”

Netcare is at present in a Closed Period until 10:00 on Monday, 25th May 2026 and is therefore regrettably unable to grant interviews.

Categories : HospitalsTags :

Net Zero Waste Hospital Certification a First for SA

On By ModernMedia

Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital leads the way in reducing landfill waste

Friday, 15 May 2026: The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has recognised Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital as the first hospital in the country to achieve Net Zero Waste certification with general waste to landfill reduced by more than 90%.

Valid until 2029, this latest certification marks a new departure for healthcare in the country and a notable step in the Netcare Group’s environmental sustainability strategy, first implemented in 2013.

Chief executive officer of GBCSA, Lisa Reynolds, commended the Netcare Group’s initiative in achieving this significant milestone of Net Zero Waste certification.

“As the first hospital in South Africa to achieve the rating, it will serve as the template for other Netcare Group facility certifications, and provides a case study for all medical facilities looking to execute their sustainability goals,” she says.

“The certification process was characterised by solid teamwork, across the Netcare Group teams, the Zero Waste sustainability consultants, and the technical team at GBCSA, and it is this teamwork that is taking projects beyond the boardroom and into action.” 

Alan Abrahams, Netcare’s Cape regional manager and general manager of Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital, congratulated staff and doctors on their enthusiasm for pioneering the Net Zero Waste initiative in the hospital setting.

“Caring for people and caring for the environment should be indivisible, yet progress towards sustainability requires commitment to measurable steps towards the goal of Net Zero Waste within the broader aims of the global Race to Zero,” Abrahams says.

“We appreciate Netcare leadership’s commitment and the support from the Group’s environmental sustainability team who have guided our Net Zero Waste certification journey. This would not be possible without each person in the hospital doing their part to reduce the amount of landfill waste by incorporating small changes into daily practices.”

The GBCSA’s Net Zero Waste Level 2 certification process analyses an existing building’s operational waste generated during day-to-day use and assesses how much of this waste is diverted from landfill, whereas Level 1 is a separate category measuring construction waste reduction in new buildings.

Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital successfully achieved the required diversion rate in line with global best practices through its own waste management processes, without any purchased offsets.

Dimakatso Nhlapo, Netcare’s national lead on integrated waste management, explains that a multidimensional approach is required to achieve Net Zero Waste Level 2 requirements in the healthcare setting.

“Healthcare risk waste, such as blood-contaminated items and pharmaceutical products, is managed in line with regulatory requirements and is not part of this process. Our efforts focused on the hospital’s general waste, which would otherwise be disposed of in landfill,” she explains.

“We looked at where we could minimise waste from every angle and improved the separation of general waste at source through practical measures, such as providing different bins for different types of materials.” 

“The shift towards reducing the hospital’s landfill waste to less than a tenth required continuous staff training and education on waste diversion. Onsite general waste sorting systems and improved processes for the recycling of paper, cardboard boxes, plastics, textile waste, and e-waste were established to further reduce the need for landfill,” Nhlapo says.

“We identified items commonly used in the hospital that can be safely reused and set up the necessary systems to ensure they are properly cleaned and disinfected. For organic waste, such as food scraps, we also established a composting system at Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital.”

André Nortje, Netcare’s environmental sustainability manager, adds that when Netcare joined the United Nations Race to Zero 2050 global campaign in 2021, it became the first healthcare institution in Africa to do so.

“Only by setting ambitious environmental objectives can these goals be achieved. Alongside Netcare’s strategic efforts to improve energy and water efficiency and reduce reliance on non-renewable resources across our operations, minimising waste to landfill is a fundamental component of minimising our operations’ footprint on the planet,” he says.

“We anticipate that many of the learnings from this first hospital’s Net Zero Waste certification will be replicable across other Netcare hospitals and will inspire other healthcare providers and corporates to seek ways to reduce landfill waste through similar initiatives,” Nortje concludes.

Categories : HospitalsTags :

Honouring the Nurses that Give Their Heart into Saving Lives

On By ModernMedia

Every day, across South Africa, nurses stand at the frontline of saving lives. They are the steady hands in moments of uncertainty, the compassionate voices during times of fear, and the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that patients receive the care they need when it matters most.

As the world commemorates International Nurses Day 2026 under the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” the South African National Blood Service pays tribute to the remarkable nurses whose compassion, strength, and dedication continue to save lives every single day.

Behind every successful blood donation is a nurse who chose to care.

A nurse who arrives before sunrise. A nurse who comforts anxious donors with a smile. A nurse who stands for hours ensuring every unit of blood collected is safe enough to save a mother, a child, a trauma victim, or a cancer patient. These are the quiet acts of heroism that often go unseen, yet they change lives every day.

At SANBS, nurses are more than healthcare professionals. They are the heartbeat of the organisation’s lifesaving mission. They carry the emotional weight of the work with grace and continue to show up with compassion even on the hardest days.

“Nurses carry the human side of healthcare. They give comfort in moments of fear and hope in moments of uncertainty. At SANBS, we see their sacrifices, their long hours, and the care they pour into every donor and patient. Today we honour them not only for what they do, but for who they are.” said Monique Schreiner, Senior Manager: Donor Relations.

Every drop of blood collected carries the fingerprints of a nurse who cared enough to make sure someone else gets another chance at life.

Whether working at donor centres, mobile clinics, community blood drives, or behind the scenes ensuring quality and safety, SANBS nurses continue to serve with unwavering commitment. Their work demands patience, emotional strength, skill, and empathy. Yet despite the pressure and responsibility they carry, they continue to give so much of themselves to others.

“There is something deeply powerful about the work our nurses do. They stand beside people in vulnerable moments and remind them that humanity still exists through kindness and care. SANBS is proud to walk alongside these incredible professionals who continue to keep the spirit of service alive,” said Monique Schreiner, Senior Manager: Donor Relations.

International Nurses Day is a moment to pause and recognise the people who dedicate their lives to caring for others, often placing the needs of patients and donors before their own. It is a reminder that healthcare is not only built through medicine and technology, but through compassion, patience, and human connection.

This year’s theme speaks directly to the future of healthcare. Empowered nurses strengthen healthcare systems, uplift communities, and save lives. Their wellbeing and support matter because when nurses are valued, entire communities benefit.

For SANBS, celebrating nurses is deeply personal. These are the individuals who hold hands during difficult moments, calm fears with gentle words, and continue to give their all so that others may live.

To every nurse who continues to wear their uniform with pride, compassion, and courage, thank you.

Thank you for the sacrifices no one sees.
Thank you for the comfort you give so freely.
Thank you for keeping hope alive.
And thank you for helping keep the blood of life flowing across South Africa.

Stay connected with SANBS on social media:

  • X (@theSANBS) 
  • Facebook (@SANBS) 
  • Instagram (@thesanbs) 
  • TikTok (@thesanbs) 
Categories : HospitalsTags :

Viatris Expands Nurse-owned Clinics in Partnership with Rhiza Babuyile Recognising Nurses’ Key Role in Sustainable Healthcare Access

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash

As demand for healthcare services continues to grow in South Africa, scalable, community-based healthcare models are playing an increasingly important role in improving access to care.

Viatris Inc. (Nasdaq: VTRS), a global healthcare company, commenced its partnership with South African non-profit organisation Rhiza Babuyile in 2020 to support scalable, community-based models that bring care closer to patients. This includes a growing network of nurse-led clinics, which are helping to close critical access gaps while strengthening local healthcare capacity.

Today, six clinics supported by Viatris, across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, are operational, forming part of a broader network of community-based healthcare programmes that collectively reach thousands of patients annually.

This expansion reflects Viatris’ broader global ambition to deliver sustainable access to healthcare at scale – ensuring that patients, regardless of geography, can access the medicines and services they need. This ambition reflects Viatris’ mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life.

“Across the world, healthcare systems are under increasing pressure, and the need for sustainable, scalable solutions has never been greater,” said Arvind Kanda, Head of ARV/API SA and SSA. “Our focus is on building healthier communities by expanding access to medicines, and empowering healthcare providers, especially nurses, who are essential to delivering care. By supporting locally driven models that provide care directly to communities, we can help build stronger, more resilient health systems for the future.”

This International Nurses Day, Viatris is recognising the vital role nurses play in expanding access to quality, sustainable healthcare – particularly in underserved communities where they are often the first and most trusted point of care.

In South Africa, nurses form the backbone of the healthcare system, accounting for approximately 80% of the country’s healthcare workforce and serving as the primary point of care for millions of patients[i]. This makes their role in community-based care models not only essential, but transformative. Globally, nurses represent the largest segment of the health workforce and are indispensable in addressing inequities in access to care – a role that is especially critical in underserved communities.[ii]

One such example is Sr. Nompumelelo Mudalahothe, who began her journey as a nurse at the Rhiza Babuyile Diepsloot clinic and has since progressed to become a healthcare manager overseeing the Mpathy nursepreneur clinics. Her journey reflects how investing in nurse-led models can unlock both improved patient outcomes and meaningful career pathways.

She says, “In many communities, nurses are the first, and sometimes only, point of access to healthcare.” She also explains that she became a nurse to make a difference in people’s lives: “Working in my own community allows me to do that every day. The clinic is more than just a place to get treatment, it’s a place where they feel heard, supported and understood.”

Rhiza Babuyile founder and board member Alef Meulenberg says one such example is when a patient brought a 4-month-old baby to the clinic. “The baby was non-responsive and would have died. Our nurse was already on her way home, but opened the clinic, stabilised the baby and afterwards referred the patient to a nearby hospital for further treatment. This baby is now fortunately doing well and has the chance for a long, healthy life.”

The clinics themselves continue to evolve, expanding beyond primary healthcare to offer services such as chronic disease management and access to chronic medication, as well as optometry services and, in one facility, x-ray capabilities. These integrated services are critical in addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and improving continuity of care at community level.

Viatris’ approach is grounded in its long-term vision to be a trusted healthcare partner – one that combines global expertise with local insight to improve health outcomes and expand access in a meaningful, sustainable way. As the company continues to evolve its portfolio and strengthen its global footprint, this commitment remains central to its path forward.

[i] Abrahams, F. (2025). Assessing the composition of nurses in South Africa versus global standards. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences.

[ii] World Health Organization (2020). State of the World’s Nursing 2020: Investing in Education, Jobs and Leadership