How Covid-19 has changed our thinking

19 Mar 2021

How could we foresee the potential devastation that a global pandemic would create? Covid has been a bitter learning curve and forced us to think deeply about the future needs for healthcare services and the need for closer cooperation between the public and private healthcare services says Kevin Poggenpoel, Chairman of SAFHE (South Africa Federation of Healthcare Engineering).

Covid has taught us a lesson, we need to be better prepared. It also forced the government to collaborate and work more closely with the private healthcare sector bearing well for the future.

What we have gleaned from this experience and how it impacts on the future of healthcare services in South Africa is the theme for a series of webinars, hosted by SAFHE and SBS Conferences.

In these half day webinars, we have arm-chair discussions, keynote presentations and panel debates involving experienced people from a cross-section of healthcare. We will examine the impact of Covid-19 on the future of healthcare services under the theme:

WINDS OF CHANGE – what is the future for healthcare.

14 April 2021: Changing Lifestyles - The impact on healthcare infrastructure.

15 April 2021: Planning & Design - Utilising advances in design, materials construction techniques and environmental concerns.

20 April 2021: Operations & Maintenance – harnessing technology to boost productivity and control rising costs.

21 April 2021: Infection Prevention and Control – Covid-19 has been a wakeup call – what have we learned?

Changes in lifestyles, how we live, travel and work in an ever-increasing globalized community forces us to re-think the future for healthcare infrastructure and services. Covid-19 caught the world napping. It must not happen again.

For full details of the webinar series visit: www.sbs.co.za/safhe2021