CSI

Force for social good

The Netcare Foundation assists disadvantaged individuals to gain access to quality healthcare. Patient safety is key and governing policies cover all clinical pathways relevant to the Foundation and its applicants. Most medical specialists, who are required to comply with service level agreements, offer their services on a pro bono basis. The Foundation’s person-centred programme allocates a coordinator to all beneficiaries, to navigate their journey from application and doctor assessment to examination, testing and hospitalisation as well as post-discharge follow-up and care.

Through the clinical scholarship we provide bursaries in all branches of academic medicine for South African specialists, enabling them to receive doctoral or post-doctoral training and conduct research at leading local or overseas institutions for three or more years.

Other aspects of our corporate social investment (CSI) programme include providing emergency medical services to indigent patients, accessibility to specialised surgery, community sponsorships, human milk banks for the distribution of donated breastmilk to premature babies, scholarships for future doctors and donations to NGOs.

Breastmilk donation

Pre-term infants fed with donor breastmilk rather than an artificial formula when a mother’s own breastmilk is insufficient or she is unable to breastfeed for whatever reason, have a reduced risk of severe bowel problems, which in turn reduces mortality and morbidity for these infants. Netcare operates five Ncelisa Human Milk Banks (Ncelisa meaning to nurse a child in isiZulu), supported by 37 collection points for donor breastmilk. Netcare provides the donated breastmilk free of charge to neonatal intensive care units in both the public and private sectors.

Our objectives are to increase the number of babies being fed with age appropriate donor breastmilk, and increase the percentage of breastmilk donated to the public sector to 33% of donated milk.