Medscheme’s R200 000 upgrade for Leratong Hospital
Medscheme has donated hospital beds and essential equipment to the value of R200 000 to Leratong Hospital’s trauma unit. The donation reinforces Medscheme’s commitment to its vision of creating a world of sustainable healthcare to South Africans and supporting the revitalisation of public healthcare facilities.
Medscheme’s donation of 22 hospital beds and essential pulse reading equipment is in response to the hospital revitalisation programme initiated by SA Medical and Education Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose mission it is to address the inequitable use of healthcare resources in South Africa. The project‘s main purpose is to revitalise hospitals situated in disadvantaged areas and to bring them into line with private facilities.
The beds will be handed over at an event on Tuesday 16 August 2011 at the Kagiso-based hospital, on the West Rand of Johannesburg which provides much needed healthcare services to previously disadvantaged people in the area.
Reports which appeared in the media last year exposed the dire state of hospitals used by many in the community as a public health facility and Leratong Hospital was identified as the hospital most in need of an upgrade within the Gauteng region. The bulk of the hospital's cases involve HIV/Aids (over 80% of all medical ward patients are HIV+), tuberculosis and trauma with violence.
The beneficiaries of the hospital beds and pulse reading equipment donated by Medscheme will be patients admitted to the trauma unit as a result of injury or violence, and whose lives are threatened when they are referred to hospitals outside of Kagiso due to insufficient equipment.
“Trauma Units are critical to the effective functioning of our hospitals and Medscheme is privileged to be in a position to contribute towards the refurbishment of the unit at Leratong Hospital in a meaningful way.
“In the light of the National Health Insurance discussion document issued by the National Department of Health last week, the private healthcare sector must support the revitalisation of public hospitals as envisaged in the department’s ten point plan aimed at improving the health profile of all South Africans,” said Yvonne Motsisi, Medscheme’s Executive Director for Transformation, Branding and Communications.
