Used car marketplace Weelee has helped the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) in Johannesburg become the first transplant centre in Africa to introduce a groundbreaking liver perfusion machine, strengthening a major advance in transplant care.
Left to right: Dr Bilal Bobat, Professor Jerome Loveland, Dr Sharan Rambarran and Dr Dinen Parbhoo — the transplant team at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC). Image supplied.
The machine perfusion system allows donor livers to remain functional outside the body, enabling clinicians to assess, monitor, and actively optimise organ condition in real time.
Because the country’s organ shortages severely limit life-saving transplants, this technology has the potential to significantly increase organ utilisation, reduce complications, and improve outcomes for patients on the transplant waiting list.
“At Weelee, we believe true innovation should benefit society as a whole. That’s why we’re proud to support Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in bringing this cutting-edge liver perfusion technology to South Africa,” says Errol Levin, CEO of Weelee.
“By helping to expand the pool of viable donor organs, we’re supporting a project that will save lives and strengthen our country’s transplant capabilities.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to making a meaningful, positive impact beyond business.”
WDGMC is home to one of Africa’s leading liver transplant programmes.
Through its partnership with Surgeons for Little Lives and with the support of corporate sponsor Weelee, the centre continues to drive innovation in specialised transplant care, research, and training while strengthening collaboration across South Africa’s public and private healthcare sectors.
“Every viable organ matters in South Africa’s transplant environment,” said Professor Jerome Loveland, head of solid organ transplantation at WDGMC.
“Technologies like machine perfusion help us make better-informed decisions and expand the pool of usable organs, directly benefiting patients who might otherwise not survive the wait.”
