Conference highlights pressing need for engagement and co-operation

Upgrading Bara will be a marathon undertaking.

The pressing necessity for the successful engagement of all interested parties in South Africa's healthcare industry, emerged as a major theme of this year's event, with delegates from the National Departments of Health and various private and public stakeholders, business and IT service providers, demonstrating a willingness to network, dialogue and find common ground and in the interests of closing the gaps and more efficient healthcare delivery in our region.

While there seems to be a general complaint that the success or lack thereof, in our healthcare systems is primarily dependent on funding, many speakers argued that a patient-centred approach to hospital design, more focused DPO'S [Desired Performance Outcomes], clear needs analyses and standardised hospital administration systems, could, in many instances, be as effective as increased funding, in creating performance excellence in the sector.

A landmark case study of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Hospital showed how the focus on the needs of mothers and their children is intended to represent the highest point in the Mandela legacy.

In the same hopeful vein, Malcolm Pautz's presentation, on behalf of the PPP unit of the National Treasury, on the revitalisation programme of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital [CBHB] was, to an outsider anyway, a breath of fresh air.

Until 1998, the 2,888-bed facility, with its R1,1bn annual operational budget, was internationally recognized as the largest hospital in the world and though still in the Guinness Book of Records, has recently been surpassed in size, if not reputation, by one or two 5,000-bed facilities in Asia.

A marathon undertaking

The unenviable task of upgrading the 429 buildings, built over a period of 57 years and spread over 173 acres, whilst still functioning at full capacity, is the marathon undertaking, currently being accomplished by the Gauteng Department of Health [GDoH] in collaboration with the Department of Roads, Transport and Public works. It is pointless having a facility if no-one can get to it, and the mystique of "Bara" attracts patients from across Africa! Taking into consideration, the very real challenge for the Departments of effective procurement and tender policies and management processes for this and the other 68 hospital revitalisation projects currently in progress in the region, it becomes apparent that standardisation of models and systems will be the cost effective way to go.

Getting it right, by design, also promises not only to revitalise healthcare facilities per se, but also to offer greater commercial opportunities for local communities - with initiatives such as the NDP [Neighbourhood Development Project] and Baralink projects underway - it is possible that the health of our medical centres could act as the heart of social and economic upliftment of their regions. The successful care of a single patient, offers the ripple effect of renewed access - to support centres, transport, training facilities and economic infrastructure - for whole communities and regions.