Netcare, which has invested over R36 million in corporate social investment (CSI) projects and programmes in 2012 to assist countless South Africans over the past year, has been awarded the PMR.Africa Golden Arrow award 2012. The award followed after a national survey on CSI programmes and initiatives among private hospital groups and clinics was conducted.
Commenting on the award, Mande Toubkin, Netcare’s general manager emergency, trauma, transplant and corporate social investment said that Netcare is humbled to have received this acknowledgement. “Netcare is dedicated to the development of South Africa and its people,” observes Toubkin. “It is second nature for employees, healthcare professionals and management to reach out to the wider communities. For us CSI is not viewed as a chore, it is heartfelt and deeply ingrained in the fabric of Netcare.”
“Without the dedication of our staff members and the many healthcare practitioners who consistently and selflessly give of themselves to those in need, we could never have made such an impact with our CSI programmes. This award belongs to everyone within Netcare.”
Toubkin explains that Netcare often undertakes initiatives in partnership with communities, government, civil society and other roleplayers in the healthcare arena to help address challenges faced by disadvantaged individuals and communities in South Africa as well as to widen access to healthcare.
“We focus our efforts on healthcare as this is where our expertise lies and where we can make the most significant impact. Through the Netcare Foundation, Netcare CSI spend is predominantly channelled to the provision of emergency medical services and reconstructive surgical interventions to indigent patients, community health outreaches, welfare sponsorships and academic sponsorships (please see Figure 1).
Netcare’s CSI guidelines are aligned to King III, the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations (UN) Global Compact principles, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) principles, the Ruggie Framework, South Africa’s inputs to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development and the final document of Rio+20. The funds for CSI initiatives are channelled through the Netcare Foundation, a not-for-profit and public benefit company that was set up in September 2011.
PMR.africa says the award is given to companies and institutions in South Africa who are seen to enhance economic development, growth and stability through their corporate social responsibility programmes and initiatives.
Netcare was named winner of the PMR.Africa Golden Arrow award 2012 following a survey conducted among 180 respondents comprising CEOs, MDs, senior government officials, stockbrokers, analysts, finance and HR directors, says Johan Hattingh, CEO of PMR.africa.
CSI programmes and initiatives supported by Netcare during 2012 included the following:
- Netcare 911 provided pro bono medical emergency services to almost 5 000 individuals.
- The emergency departments at Netcare hospitals countrywide provided life-saving pro bono services to 275 patients in need of assistance.
- Life-altering craniofacial surgery was performed by a dedicated, multidisciplinary medical team at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital as part of the Netcare Johannesburg Craniofacial programme. Those benefitting from the programme included children forced to grow up in seclusion or shunned by society because of disfiguring craniofacial anomalies. The Vodacom and Netcare Foundations collaborated on this programme.
- The Netcare Sight for You programme performedcataract revision surgery in numerous public and private facilities countrywide. Since its inception this programme has restored the sight of over 6 000 disadvantaged individuals countrywide.
- The Netcare Smiles for You programme assisted 63 individuals with cleft lip and palate. Surgery to correct this deformity was done at Netcare Sunninghill and Netcare Park Lane hospitals. The Vodacom and Netcare Foundations collaborated on this programme.
- Cardiothoracic training at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg for nurses and doctors from other African countries through the Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Foundation (WSPCF). The programme, which began in 2003 as a collaborative public-private initiative to extend modern paediatric cardiac care to children across Africa, has since inception performed 63 life saving cardiac procedures at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital on seriously ill children.
- Netcare Sexual Assault Centres provided medical and support services to 1 021 rape and sexual assault survivors during the past year, irrespective of whether the person was medically insured or not. This service is offered to men, women and children immediately after a rape. Counselling is provided for a year thereafter. The centres have treated over 8 600 patients since their inception, 86% of whom were female and 5% men.
- Netcare helped to support the costs of the main incoming toll free line for the Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa (ODFSA). This not-for-profit organisation was established to address the critical shortage of tissue and organ donors in the country. A number of other initiatives aimed at addressing education and awareness of organ donation were also supported.
- The National Netcare Build 2012 saw 1 500 Netcare staff volunteers building 15 homes for disadvantaged South Africans in Orange Farm, Gauteng, Mfuleni, Western Cape and Umgababa, Kwa-Zulu Natal. This initiative was undertaken together with Habitat for Humanity, Aveng and WBHO.
- Netcare has set up breast milk banks in eight of its hospitals in support of the Feed for Life programme run by the South African Breast Milk Reserve (SABR). The programme is aligned with the Department of Health’s Tshwane Declaration. It aims to decrease infant mortality and morbidity due to inadequate formula feeding while preventing HIV infection through the avoidance of mixed feeding, breastfeeding and substitute feeding by HIV-positive mothers. In 2012, milk donated by Netcare’s breast milk banks was distributed to 622 needy infants in the public sector.
- Netcare’s support for programmes run by The Mother and Child Trust and the Healthy Lifestyle Trust, both initiatives of Health Partners for Life (HPFL), benefitted 425 disadvantaged recipients.
- The doctoral studies of four medical specialists in their chosen field of medicine have been funded to date through the Hamilton Naki Scholarship, which was set up by the Physician Partnership Trust in 2007. Medical doctors in training were supported through the Netcare Registrars initiative, which aims to increase the number of trained specialists in particular disciplines.
- As part of its education partnership with the Premier of the Free State, Netcare supported 126 nursing students with bursaries to complete their training.
Ends
Issued by : Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare
Contact : Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney or Monique Vanek
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email : [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]