If your company cannot stop, count on Aceco TI’s solutions for high-availability Data Centers.
Most of your company’s activities go through a Data Center which becomes more complex and sensitive at each passing day, requiring integrated, reliable solutions.
Aceco TI offers end-to-end solutions for the full lifecycle of your Data Center: design, construction and maintenance with international certification and the experience of who has implemented over 600 Data Centers in Latin America, delivering a new one every five days.
Find out how to cut down on risks, deadlines and costs. Count on Aceco TI working with your team.
Aceco TI. Realiability by your side. Always.
Brazil 55 (11) 2164 7100
Argentina (5411) 4776 7002
Chile (562) 2656 7047
Colombia (571) 530 4512 / 530 4513
THERE ARE
WHEN NOTHING CAN GO WRONG.
Editor-in-Chief Carley Fallows editor@littlegatepublishing.com
Space Management Emlyn Freeman emlynfreeman@littlegatepublishing.com
Media Coordinator Andrew Williams andrew@littlegatepublishing.com
Lead Designer Alina Sandu Research Kristina Palmer-Folt Editorial Research Amber Winterburn
Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com
Founder and CEO Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com
For enquiries or subscriptions contact info@littlegatepublishing.com
+44 1603 296 100
ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published by Littlegate Publishing LTD which is a Registered Company in the United Kingdom.
Company Registration: 07657236
VAT registration number: 116 776007
343 City Road 60 Thorpe Road London 79 Norwich
EC1 V1LR NR1 1RY
Littlegate Publishing Ltd does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher.
Copyright© Littlegate Publishing Ltd 2023
Our health is something we so often take for granted, as we forget to take care of ourselves to support our prolonged wellbeing. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic the importance of our health and the medical world was made ever more apparent. We saw the medical sector provide vital and life-saving services across the world to combat the ongoing pandemic and keep us safe. However, these medical fields have been working, and continue to work, around the clock every single day to provide essential medical services which allow us to live long, comfortable, and healthy lives.
In this magazine, we look at a range of medical companies and organisations which are leading the industry with medical and healthcare services across the world – from medical giants working on an international scale to individual medical companies which are providing vital healthcare services in more remote localised areas. Reading about all the companies in this magazine reminds us why the healthcare world is so crucial and that it is the people behind it which make it so successful. It is their passion for helping people and giving them the infrastructure to live a long and healthy life which is so inspiring across these companies. The companies we cover in this magazine are developing the medical sectors across the globe and ensuring that with every appointment, service, procedure, and hospital they are serving the people towards a healthy and happy future. We look forward to seeing how they continue to develop the industry, and what the future of medicine will look like over the coming years.
Yaya Chemist
Founded on the principles of patient satisfaction and exceptional care, Medcorp Limited Group has spent the last 30 years leading the private health sector of Trinidad and Tobago towards a future of healthcare security. Providing comprehensive and state-of-the-art healthcare, Medcorp has established itself as one of the most respected medical services providers across the Caribbean region. As the largest private healthcare facility in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, it continues to provide the region’s population with access to highly trained doctors, first-class facilities, and a wide range of medical services.
Coming into its 30th year of operation, Medcorp continues to strive to be the top private healthcare provider by bringing highly specialised doctors and physicians, welltrained medical and nursing staff, and the most advanced diagnostic technologies available together to ensure that it can offer unrivalled patient-focused care.
Since 1993, Medcorp has been leading the way across the private healthcare sector of Trinidad and Tobago, providing a range of services from emergency care 24/7 accident and emergency departments to long-term treatment options on the tertiary level. Across the Medcorp hospitals, they also offer cardiac catheterization, cardiology services, dentistry, intensive care units (ICU), maternity services, nursing care, pharmacy, surgical services, radiology and imaging, dialysis, physiotherapy, doctors’ offices, endoscopy services, and international catheterization procedures.
Central Medical & Industrial Supplies Company Limited
“For Your Medical & Laboratory Supplies.”
Proud to work with and support MEDCORP on their 30th anniversary
#103 PENCO STREET, CIIAGUANAS, TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES
(868) 722-5657 (868) 722-5999 (868) 680-2430 infocenmed@yahoo.com, quotescenmed@gmail.com, kennycenmed@yahoo.com
“Committed to the Enhancement Of Quality Control Performance.”
These services allow the region to develop exponentially as a core hub for health care, which is reiterated by Dr Kongshiek Achong Low, Chairman of Medcorp Limited, that “Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and by extension the world, share a culture of fusion, the integration of individually unique groups and identities that incorporate to make life easier, creative, and more productive. Similarly, so too is the culture at Medcorp; we are all individuals; however, collectively as Medcorp Limited, we stand together as a group and tell our story. Critical to our story is why we exist, what we believe in, and where we are going as a hospital and as a leader in this community of healthcare providers”. Consequently, we can see that behind Medcorp is a real sense of personal touch to ensure that throughout every medical service, treatment, or appointment; the staff, nurses and doctors are working tirelessly to ensure that every patient is receiving the best treatment possible.
Under Medcorp Limited are 4 hospitals which are working as part of the Medcorp team to provide premier healthcare facilities across the region. One
of the hospitals under the Medcorp umbrella is St. Claire Medical which is the oldest private hospital institution in Trinidad and Tobago, which has a 24/7 accident and emergency department and the first fully equipped state-of-the-art ICU in the region’s private sector. The hospital has a 60-bed capacity and believes in the motto that “Life is Precious, Choose the Best”.
With medical wards, maternity wards, a dialysis unit, 3 operating theatres, a radiology and imaging department, a catheterization lab, and a pharmacy; the hospital is on a mission to be the main provider of tertiary healthcare services in the Caribbean. Medcorp is ensuring it remains a leader in the sector by committing to friendly and efficient services throughout all its operations.
The hospital is focused on ensuring that every patient feels heard, is given all the information they need to make informed choices about their medical conditions and receives top medical advice and treatment plans from leading medical professionals – all of which are delivered in accordance with international standards of quality and care. The
hospital however continues to develop, and as new technologies, methods and ailments become apparent, the hospital will continue to adapt and develop to bring its patients the very best service guarantees.
Medcorp established GoodHealth Medical Centre (GHMC) to provide medical services where “GoodHealth is wealth, invest in your health” is its central message. GHMC was established to provide a range of preventative care services in the form of Executive Health Assessments.
These assessments check patients over for a variety of potential conditions but focus on the eyes, ears, lungs, heart, kidney, vascular system, and gastrointestinal tract. For Medcorp, a pillar of its role is to help with preventative and pro-active healthcare treatments and check to help patients to maintain good health. With all services facilitated by a multidisciplinary team of highly trained medicine consultants, general practitioners, nurses, phlebotomists, and admin staff; GHMC can provide excellent customer services through
its same-day surgeries, 2 operating theatres and private consultancy service. Furthermore, it has an onsite medical lab, which is the only internationally accredited lab in the Caribbean.
As part of Medcorp’s focus to be a leader for treatment options, they own the Brian Lara Cancer Treatment Centre of Trinidad and Tobago, which was established in 2007 to provide cancer patients with the best treatments with a team of experienced oncologists. Offering a range of advanced cancer therapies, diagnosis, staging, multidisciplinary team decision-making, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the treatment facility is able to offer to give its patients the best chance of beating cancer. The treatment facility is usefully located next to the National Stadium in Port-of-Spain and has two treatment bunkers which administer treatment, examination rooms, physics and treatment planning suites and a simulation imaging suit for accurate treatment planning. The Brian Lara Centre, which was named after a world record-holding cricketer from Trinidad and Tobago, leads the way across the region in providing crucial cancer treatments and examinations to ensure that the disease is treated to the best of their ability.
The final hospital under Medcorp is its Doctor’s Radiology Centre, which is a premium outpatient facility for radiological investigations. The radiology centre has been in operation for over 30 years and is a stand-alone facility, now under Medcorp, which provides digital plain X-rays, fluoroscopic examinations, digital mammograms, bone densitometry and ultrasounds. The centre allows for x-rays to be carried out without the need for a pre-planned appointment and can help medical practitioners to better investigate ailments regarding the abdominal, pelvis, breast, skin lumps, thyroid, and legs. The Doctor’s Radiology Centre has introduced a new machine from Siemons, called The Digital Mammomat Inspiron, which is a top medical machine that has helped to keep the centre at the forefront of new technology by reducing wait time compared to traditional film x-ray imaging, and so ensures more scans can be conducted to reach a wider potential of patients in a more efficient way. Furthermore, the centre is home to the Hologic Discovery, a bone density scanner which combines the proven clinical value of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurements and vertebral fracture assessment, which looks for conditions such as
osteoporosis. The Doctor’s Radiology Centre shows how technology, and its continual development, is crucial for placing Medcorp at the forefront of the medical services industry.
We can see throughout Medcorps operations it is always concerned with ensuring that the patient is receiving the best treatment possible. They are continually developing and working to strive for greatness, from opening the first private sector 24/7 accident and emergency department in the country, which had only previously been available in the public sector, to today 4 hospitals under the Medcorp name. Therefore, on Medcorp’s 30th birthday, it is no surprise that they are leading the industry with excellent medical services and healthcare across Trinidad and Tobago. At the heart of Medcorp is a keen desire to help and provide a reliable solution to healthcare services, and this isn’t missed throughout the continuous development of healthcare across the region.
Receiving a diagnosis can often be a daunting experience, making the option of a second opinion vital in the early stages of diagnosis, as it helps patients gain a greater understanding of their health. At MediGuide International, members have access to world-leading healthcare consultants who can provide top-notch second opinions and care, whilst avoiding the hassle of waiting lists or geographical limitations. By providing services across 152 countries, MediGuide has the most knowledgeable health experts on hand quickly and effectively, helping millions of people across the world.
MediGuide understands that the value of a second opinion is unmeasurable. As such, they provide easy access to the world’s leading healthcare professionals from the top medical centres around the world. Such a lifechanging service can be accessed with a few clicks of a button, allowing patients to easily obtain a remote medical second opinion. In 2018 alone, out of 97% of their evaluated cases, 5% of these cases resulted in an altering of diagnosis, whilst in 84% of cases, there was a turnaround in treatment. Such statistics are telling of the unimaginable service that they provide, that is unmatched by the world’s leading healthcare institutions. MediGuide was first founded in Delaware, the US, in 1999. Since its inception, MediGuide has amassed an active membership of 10 million that stem across jurisdictions in 5 continents. Evidently, from the beginning of the millennium, it has endeavoured to build a system of trust with its members, so they have full faith in the knowledge and solutions of diagnosis.
MediGuide offers a triad of excellent healthcare services. Alongside expert second opinions, patients can also gain optimal access to digital healthcare services and an international medical concierge facility. As aforementioned, receiving a remote second opinion means that you can access healthcare professionals from across the world, which would otherwise be unobtainable. Accessing a second medical opinion is very quick and efficient, as the service is proactive in facilitating a full review of your diagnosis and treatment plan in just 10 days. Patients can also rest assured that the diagnosis and proposed treatment is based on the latest clinical research from top medical professionals. All of these fantastic services can be accessed via a simple phone call, opening a world of triumphant healthcare.
The notion of unlimited and completely accessible healthcare is a big part of why MediGuide is so successful. As such, their unmatched digital health services are really something to marvel. In the healthcare field, a digital platform to access records is not unique. However, MediGuide go even further than this by offering a comprehensive Preventative Health Program and Telehealth service to ensure that health conditions are effectively managed. The Preventative Health Program is a
great option for those that are searching for a routine appointment, whilst being put in control of their healthcare. This demonstrates how MediGuide is there for their patients, even when they are not in urgent situations. Telehealth is alternative form of advice for those who wish to receive quick and easy face-to-face help, so you have medical advice on demand. Thus, rather than joining an endless waiting list for a doctor, MediGuide’s Digital Healthcare mean that you can talk to a doctor anytime, anywhere.
Just in case you do need to travel to receive renowned treatment, MediGuide is also happy to cover the cost of travelling to one of the stateof-the-art medical centres. Known as LifeLink, it ensures that members receive the best treatment, regardless of their geographical location. Their hospitality extends further as members can receive business class flights, accommodation for the patient and a plus one, as well as other related costs covered up to $1 million. A big plus is provided by offering alternatives to staggering insurance costs that are usually associated with healthcare.
Alternatively, MediGuide also provides a Navigator package, which perseveres to make sure that the patient’s journey is as hassle-free as possible, utilising a re-pricing and cost containment blueprint
Finally, to round off a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan, a care manager is available to guide you through the next steps of your treatment. This means that they provide specialised help through your medical needs. And yet their help doesn’t stop there! MediGuide will organise a specialist doctor at your local medical clinic, and oversee the entire process, from pharmacy medication to insurance. Therefore, patients can relax knowing that MediGuide will be with them every step of the way.
MediGuide has been able to achieve such medical prestige due to a combination of dedicated clinical practitioners that guarantee the 24/7 supply and demand of medical care across the world. So much so, that it is not unheard of for nurses and doctors to take a call in the middle night if urgent care required it. And yet, such relentless work does not go unrecognised. As part of an appraisal system,
Lebanon - France - UAE - KSA - QatarEgypt - Türkiye - Nigeria - Iraq - S. Korea
Providers, and state-of-the-art technology through expert systems, medical rules and digital platforms. The company delivers first class service that maximizes operational efficiency, cost containment, transparency and profitability. Moreover, Best Assistance serves various National & International clients within the region: insurance companies, TPAs, self-funded schemes, Mutual funds, Orders, Syndicates.
(Health Insurance Management System) that aligns with the company’s and clients’ business strategy. HIMS® consists of structured Modules & functionalities covering TPA & Insurance cycle and needs.
Lebanon - France - UAE - KSA - QatarEgypt - Türkiye - Nigeria - Iraq - S. Korea
Written by Alice Instone-Brewer
The past two years have brought their trials across industries, as well as in our lives, but few sectors were hit like the medical industry. We spoke with Zelda van Staden, National Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa Blood Division of SSEM Mthembu Medical (Pty) Ltd; one of the top distributors of medical equipment across Southern Africa. SSEM stands apart for two reasons – the way the company is structured, and the incredible passion that seems to run through the veins of its culture and employees. We spoke with Zelda about the work that the company does to save lives, both in the context of Covid and across medicine’s wider demands and how the company and its teams have coped under the incredible added pressure of juggling these needs with a pandemic response.
Throughout Southern Africa, SSEM Mthembu Medical is a top distributor when it comes to electro-medical devices and medical consumables. Short for Specialised Systems Electro Medical, SSEM was founded in 1987. At the time, the business was focused primarily on the electrophysiology and respiratory markets, the latter of which has been highly relevant of late. Since then, SSEM has since expanded into 14 divisions and six self-sufficient national branches, located in Johannesburg (Head Office), Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, East London & Bloemfontein.
Its full range of products is extremely vast, ranging across medical disciplines such as blood management, neurology, ventilation, MRI, radiology and surgical equipment, to name less than half of the categories covered by these many departments. Whilst all of these branches are based in South Africa, the company supplies equipment throughout the whole of Southern Africa. Within this market, the company caters to four types of clients: hospitals (whether government-run, academic or private), blood transfusion services, the homecare sector and independent medical practitioners.
We asked Zelda what she thought set SSEM apart from its rivals, and her answer came right back to what we see as the real brilliance of SSEM: “SSEM has a unique business strategy, where every division is run as a separate business within the company. Each division is managed by highly qualified Product Managers who have a passion for the business and their product range.”
This structure allows SSEM to cover an extremely broad spectrum of needs without watering down expertise. For Zelda, her passion lay in the blood department:
“I started as a Critical Care Representative in 2011, working mostly in Theatre, which I absolutely loved. I was entrusted to take on another division (the Blood Division) in 2013. I worked in both divisions for a year. This was very taxing on me, and I had to choose which division I would like to continue with. I chose Blood Division as I get to save lives on a daily basis.” Sticking on her chosen path, Zelda was appointed as National Product Manager for Blood Division in 2019 and National Sales Manager Africa in 2020.
We asked Zelda whether she had any stand-out examples of the difference she has seen the Blood Division’s equipment making in the lives of others, and her response was as immediate as it was heartfelt:
“So many. My absolute favourite example is when we treat Alcohol Foetal Syndrome: they’ll take blood out of the baby’s umbilical cord, a couple of millilitres at a time, and the blood will be almost black. Then, they’ll put healthy blood into the umbilical cord, and they continue this process until the blood they extract on the one side is bright red. It’s amazing to watch, and it’s that baby’s best chance in life. They would usually suffer from brain damage because there’s not enough oxygen in their blood, and just to watch that whole process is incredible.”
SSEM’s method of structuring itself means that each division is able to live and breathe the area they work in, acutely aware of the good that they do and the needs of the countries and people around them. “We’ve got non-executive directors who recently attended our three-day strategy meeting and at the end of those three days, one of them,
was in tears: she said she couldn’t believe the absolute passion every Divisional manager has for their products and division. It’s true passion that’s driving the company; it’s absolutely what makes us work.”
This sort of passion is exactly the motivation needed when facing a period such as the past two years – and for SSEM, the work is far from over. The company has distributed ventilators for many years, as well as producing ventilator filters in-house. In response to Covid-19, the company turned its small in-house manufacturing operation towards other consumables, such as swabs for Covid tests and, for a time, face masks. For the Blood Division, the period has been particularly critical because of the vaccine rollout: the same refrigeration technology used to store and transport blood can be used for vaccines, and it was this front line that Zelda’s division has been operating on.
“It’s going well. We supply WHO pre-approved vaccine carriers as well as vaccine fridges. South Africa has always been good for vaccine
fridges, but not the vaccine carriers that much, because we never had mobile vaccine sites before. You would go to the pharmacy, which had a vaccine fridge and the freezer, and you would get vaccinated there. Now, with this massive vaccine rollout, we’re using sites like coffee shops that closed down during Covid – empty premises. So, that’s where we had to supply our WHO approved vaccine products.”
Like the rest of the world, Africa was left guessing when it came to the emergence of Covid: at the beginning, no one knew the details of the virus, how it worked or how to respond. In fact, as Zelda explained it to us, the African continent had an even stranger time than a lot of us:
“We were one of the last countries that Covid hit. It happened all around us, and we couldn’t believe that Africa had no cases at all. So, we’re thinking; ‘Now what? Should we prepare for it? Is it not going to come here?’ We thought that maybe it was because it was too hot here, or because of our TB vaccination, which everyone here has as babies. We had a lot of speculation. Then, eventually, cases appeared in Botswana.”
We asked how SSEM prepared for what was to come, in such an uncertain period: “We have been proactive in our markets. We have our strategic meetings. We brainstorm. We have a lot of highly intelligent people in the room, and we take everybody’s input into account. But it’s a guessing game – nothing’s set in stone. For example, we thought our death rates would extremely high because of the amount of HIV cases in Africa and South Africa and these patients are they already immunocompromised. However, it turns out that the antiretroviral treatment (ART’s) actually help to protect against the virus to a certain degree.”
The biggest thing SSEM could do in response was to make sure that, whilst responding to the calls of Covid, it didn’t let this period as any other. “We do crisis management because we are currently in a worldwide crisis. But we didn’t drop the one ball to juggle the other one. As a company, we committed ourselves to giving our full support to our current market to ensure every medical need during these times will be met. We are proud to say that we maintained smooth product supply in a high demand period, regardless of the many obstacles during this period.
Phenomenally enough, we are even still on track with our 5-year plan.”
Some of the biggest challenges that SSEM faced were in shipping: delays on and off throughout the pandemic meant that 4-week lead times for products to arrive became more like 15 weeks. In order to remain a reliable distributor, SSEM responded to this by ordering 5 to 6 months’ worth of stock, keeping its usual buffer in their normal warehouses whilst keeping the surplus in extra warehouse space that they leased. The extra stock holding, and leased space was an additional investment, but the result avoided not only a loss of business and reputation for them, but it also avoided crisis for the medical practises that rely on them to deliver.
As for Zelda’s division, South Africa faces an ongoing shortage in blood donations, with less than 1% of the country habitually giving blood. This means that when it comes to collecting, distributing and using this precious medical resource, it is important that every stage is well supplied for and carried out with care, and this is where Zelda’s area of SSEM can help. “SSEM is able to supply blood products for any need in modern blood transfusion practice. We have the expertise to assist blood banks with all their blood bag and equipment requirements, and
as well as consumables, we supply blood processing devices, platelet Incubators and agitators, blood collection devices and various instruments used to seal and strip blood tubing.”
SSEM’s blood division’s total presence extends to South Africa, Angola, Rwanda, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, St Helena Island and Tanzania, including the supply of blood bags and other products to the National Blood Services and in each country. As such, it is the region’s trusted contact for many leading medical brands. As Zelda told us:
“SSEM is the appointed distributor for JMS Singapore, Conroy Sweden, Vacucare & Qualimed India for ranges such as blood bags, blood banking equipment, blood sealers and blood management machines, which are of superior quality and have a long and laudable reputation in Sub Sahara Africa. We currently have 1/3 of the blood bag supply to SANBS and supply various blood collection tubes nationally.” (SANBS has a risk policy that requires them to have more than one
supplier for critical items, meaning that no one company can exclusively supply them products.)
“During the hard lockdown in South Africa, blood donations and usage dropped significantly because there were no elective surgeries and little to no road accidents. However, collections and usage started increasing towards August 2020 and have now completely normalised.”
With blood collection and use back to normal rates, the vaccine rollout in full swing and Covid still in effect, SSEM’s Blood Division, like its other divisions, has too much work to do for rest. As the work requires trained-up, technical knowledge, Zelda explained that they cannot simply bring in casual workers to boost their numbers during this time, and sourcing and training staff that they would then need to let go after Covid isn’t fair or feasible. Therefore, the team of 220 staff that exists has been working extremely hard. As Zelda told us, that passion has driven them forwards, but even passion can burn out if people don’t receive the right support. Knowing this, SSEM has taken good care of its staff, providing regular, in-depth counselling and
coaching sessions to allow people to touch base, share their experiences, receive help and know that they aren’t alone.
“It was phenomenally helpful. We’d have 5 or 6 people in a meeting, all online, and for an hour and a half, we’d have a coaching session. Some meetings, I’d just cry for the full hour and a half because I felt so exhausted, but hearing that the other managers were going through the exact same thing made me feel better about it. Just to have someone listen, and say ‘I hear you.’”
“I have been privileged to be with SSEM Mthembu Medical for 10 years. I get up in the morning and I think “I’ve got to work. I’ve got a job, and I love what I’m doing”. When you have that passion for your job, it honestly never feels like I’m working, although I’m tired and I work hard. It just feels like I’m living my passion. You get to do what you love every day.
If you look after yourself, you are then in a healthy position to look after others. Whilst making sure that they supported their customers and kept Southern Africa reliably supplied with the medical
equipment it needed, the team at SSEM’s blood division has made sure to look after each other. “As a company, we have grown together and the support between employees is heart-warming. We really stand together as a family.” From that strong position, the team is then ready to help others, whether through visits to labs to maintain their tech and advise in their operations, or simply through the reliable delivery of their essential stock. SSEM’s staff have been rushed off their feet, but it’s work that contributes to saving lives. “It’s exhausting, but I wouldn’t change it for anything else in the world.”
Written by Alice Instone-Brewer
Less than 1% of South Africans are active blood donors, and once taken, blood only lasts 42 days before it must be disposed of. Now, more than ever, we are acutely aware of the importance of a smoothly operating health service: with over 99% of the population that may need to receive blood not donating any, this gives you a quick idea of the challenges faced by the South African Blood Service (SANBS) on a daily basis.
SANBS is a world leader in its field. Using advanced technology and proactive, efficient systems, the organisation makes sure that the South African health service has all of the blood it needs to carry out treatments and save lives. We caught up with the organisation to find out how they stay on top of this responsibility, including the application of its high-flying technological arsenal. Since its formation in 2002, the South African National Blood Service has seen its operations grow substantially. Originally formed in a merger between several separate blood transfusion services, SANBS is now renowned for the expertise of its medical professionals, its high-tech facilities and its stringent safety procedures, and has become one of the brightest examples of a blood service in the world. As a not-for-profit organisation that is free from shareholders and private sector involvement, SANBS is able to re-invest all of its profits back into the organisation, with the desire to improve service and safety being the only driver.
Plentiful blood reserves mean that seriously ill patients can undergo surgery, mothers-tobe can receive blood transfusions when going into labour, and those in need of emergency treatment can receive it. Blood is the key resource needed for South Africa’s medical and emergency care system to operate effectively, and it is SANBS that acts as the bastion that protects its effective collection, screening and distribution.
One of the greatest challenges for SANBS, apart from low donor numbers, is South Africa’s wide reach. These two challenges combine together into a mountain of a task. The country’s population is spread across a large area, with many communities living in remote locations that are far from any major cities or towns. The organisation has 25 facilities, as well as multiple mobile blood units stationed within shopping centres, holiday resorts and secondary schools. However, whilst these are more than sufficient when it comes to blood collection, the delivery of blood to remote health facilities is a different issue and calls for a far faster, all-encompassing reach. SANBS has its fleet of vehicles, but in its latest expansion into new technology, it has begun trialling the application of another, faster form of vehicle that can get to the hardest-to-reach places.
The Procleix Panther system featuring ART provides enhanced levels of automation for laboratories in a compact footprint without compromising throughput. It combines the proven and reliable performance of the Procleix Panther system with software and hardware improvements. Innovative optional components, such as full track connectivity and remote monitoring, can be installed to optimize variable workflow needs now or in the future.
Optimize variable workflow needs via superior customization with easy, scalable options that help transform the way labs work as lab needs evolve.
Learn more about the Procleix Panther System featuring ART at www.procleix.com
Tel: +27 (0)11 804 4004 | Email: mail@ilex.co.za | sales@ilex.co.za www.ilex.co.za
Standard Bags | Transfer Bags | Bag System with wide bore tubing
Blood bag systems with integrated leukocyte depletion filters
Pediatric storage bags non DEHP
Maximised efficiency and plasma yield | Shortened separation time
Reduced risk of hemolysis | Advanced technological platform
Optimised standardization | Flexibility in processing
Proud Distributor of Fresenius Kabi Blood Transfusion ProductsGlobally, drone technology is being applied to more and more industries. From military operations to essential industries such agriculture or construction, and even emergency services such as firefighting and the police, drones have proven themselves to be game-changers in many an operation, thanks to their height, quick speeds, manoeuvrable size and the affordability of using them.
In the face of South Africa’s widespread, hard-toreach population, drone technology is a potential life-saver. SANBS has developed the use of drones to both deliver blood and to collect blood samples in an emergency situation. The organisation’s twofold strategy is the first of its kind in the world, using drones to transport emergency, universal ‘O negative’ blood to patients in need, and secondly, to transport a sample of the patients’ blood to a SANBS facility and return with the appropriate type. Currently, drones would be able to carry up to four units of blood at a time, though future designs might be able to improve on this. In the current design, these drones can fly at a height of up to 100 metres, which allows it to travel as the crow flies
over most terrain. SANBS has developed this plan in cooperation with Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS), as well as with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to secure licensing and airspace. SANBS is in a strong position compared to where it began, collecting six times the amount of blood it used to, despite bumps in the road along the way. However, supply can still be an issue, with only around 500,000 of South Africa’s 53 million inhabitants donating blood. 20% of these donors are secondary school students, which also means that supply levels drop over school holiday periods such as Easter and Christmas.
SANBS has invested in many mobile units with which to lead drives throughout the country, which are able to tackle this shortage. However, there are further expenses and challenges in obtaining this essential resource. For example, hepatitis and HIV are both prevalent in many areas of the country, and this must be screened for in every unit of blood donated to SANBS. This process takes place in SANBS’ state of the art laboratories and costs the organisation R500,000 a day.
This is a small price to pay for a safe and reliable blood supply, but it is one of the many areas in which SANBS can never relax its standards. When it comes to a resource as precious and essential as donated blood, the organisation can never have an ‘off’ day –it must consistently meet every stringent standard, and it goes without saying that in such a health and safety conscious industry, the South Africa National Blood Service is highly regulated.
All nurses and technicians employed by the organisation are continuously trained and registered with a statutory council who ensure that necessary high standards are maintained. Due to the risk of staff coming into contact with individuals infected with hepatitis B or HIV, employees are immunised for hepatitis B and only the highest quality protective equipment is permitted, such as needles with protective sheaths and specialist medical gloves. Any concerns that a member of staff may have contracted HIV from a donor will see them receive prophylactic treatment immediately.
In every way it can, SANBS is striving to be the best that it can be. If drones are able to be utilized in this innovative way, then location should no longer have the definitive impact it currently has on whether or not a South African resident receives the full care that they need, which will go a long way to combat one of the forms of social and economic inequality faced by the varied population. Blood is yet another frontier on the road to greater economic freedom and equal opportunity in the wide-spread country –one that might not come immediately to mind, but one that, in an emergency, could be the decider between life and death.
Written by Alice Instone-Brewer
The Procleix Panther system featuring ART provides enhanced levels of automation for laboratories in a compact footprint without compromising throughput. It combines the proven and reliable performance of the Procleix Panther system with software and hardware improvements. Innovative optional components, such as full track connectivity and remote monitoring, can be installed to optimize variable workflow needs now or in the future.
Optimize variable workflow needs via superior customization with easy, scalable options that help transform the way labs work as lab needs evolve.
Learn more about the Procleix Panther System featuring ART at www.procleix.com
Tel: +27 (0)11 804 4004 | Email: mail@ilex.co.za | sales@ilex.co.za www.ilex.co.za
Standard Bags | Transfer Bags | Bag System with wide bore tubing
Blood bag systems with integrated leukocyte depletion filters
Pediatric storage bags non DEHP
Maximised efficiency and plasma yield | Shortened separation time
Reduced risk of hemolysis | Advanced technological platform
Optimised standardization | Flexibility in processing
Proud Distributor of Fresenius Kabi Blood Transfusion ProductsWhilst we’ve spoken with the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) a number of times, there is another dedicated blood service that operations as a not-for-profit organisation in South Africa, this one operating throughout the country’s Western Cape. Working together to share the burden, the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) and SANBS see to the country’s needs together, which SANBS focusing outside of the Cape, and WCBS focusing in on this highly populated part of the country, including the busy port city of Cape Town.
Blood donation is a challenging, expensive field world-wide, and definitely so in South Africa. With only a very small fraction of the population acting as donors, and, due to the presence of HIV and various other diseases or conditions, there are sadly many who cannot donate, even if they would wish to. Every donation must be tested to make sure it is suitable for safe use, which costs money; all in all, it is a thinly spread operating, but one that saves lives. As such, it never rests, and the work of WCBS is no exception.
As the company states, “It’s our goal to deliver a world-class blood service in the Western Cape – and we’re getting there, with the help of our dedicated donors.”
WCBS says of itself that it “works without prejudice to supply safe blood and blood products to all communities in the region”. In a country with such a stark divide in wealth, divide in fixed vs informal housing, and, in recent history, divides in race, this is a valuable ideal.
You need flexible, innovative insurance solutions adapted to suit you and your unique circumstances. You need experts who are qualified to offer objective advice on a wide variety of insurance options, and provide solutions precisely tailored to suit you.
Every year, WCBS collects more than 165,000 units of safe blood, which is then used to aid more than 495,000 people. The organisation strictly follows WHO guidance in all it does, as well as holding South African National Accreditation System accreditation. Staying up-to-date with these regulations takes constant vigilance and attention to detail – especially as the organisation was founded back in October 1938, when the processes were quite different and far simpler. The only mode of transfusion at this time meant doing so directly from donor to patient. Compared to the complex logistics, refrigeration needs and organization that goes into today’s blood bank storage and transportation, the group’s systems are almost unrecognizable! (Though, it is much simpler, in many ways, to move blood rather than a donor!)
From small beginnings come great things. Far from its 165,000 annual units, when it first began, WCBS stared life by only received 200 donors of its first three months of operation, which supported a humble 30 transfusions a month. However, only the following year, its activity and its necessity would sour, due to the events of the Second World War. The blood service was, thankfully, already established and in a position to provide blood to military hospitals.
During the war, this raised reliance and demand saw the organisation move to its own building, where it could process more donors at the same time. This move took place in 1942, and by 1942, the donor base has ground from 200 to 1,394, with 182 transitions happening a month. By this stage, blood was collected and tested – though, rather than the vials and bags we known today, it was contained in (washed out) milk bottles!
IN 1949, a fear years after the war had ended, WCBS finally hit the road. Investing in a mobile unit, the organisation was finally able to travel around the Cape in search of donors, rather than relying on finding them in the city.
These days, WCBS has grown from this starting point to being one of the most technologically advanced blood services in the continent. This transition began in the 1960s, when the organisation hired its first technical staff. At this stage, it was processing over 50,000 donors a year. From taking on technicians to expanding its technology, in 1967, the organisation moved location to a much larger hub, from which to carry out a new range of processes,
as were supported by the latest technology at the time: this included cross-matching, serological testing, biochemistry and plasma aspiration, as well as the donor grouping that they had been previously carrying out. By the end of the 60s, WCSB was distribution 7,000 units of blood per month, as well as carrying out these tests and processes in its new, dedicated labs.
In the ‘70s, plastic saw previously glass contains become lighter and more durable, and the entirety of the lab’s technology became slimmer and more streamlined in comparison to what it had been. Plastic was not only cheaper, lighter and harder to break, but it also allowed for the more accurate separation of components, which boosted the accuracy of testing. This decade also saw the introduction of Hepatitis B testing, and the establishing of the continent’s first-ever Cell Separation clinic.
Many more such advances and expansions of capabilities came over the decades: in 1976, the founding of WCSB’s scientific division and the installation of the first automated blood grouping analyser; in 1978, the first bank for frozen red blood cells; 1980, Human Leukocyte Antigen and paternity testing; and notably, in 1985, in response to the tragic HIV and AIDs epidemic, a new facility especially for HIV testing.
Despite fears that surrounded the latter, WCBS made a significant step towards upholding its value of operating without discrimination by changing its donor acceptance rules to allow donations from men who choose male sexual partners. Notably, the rulings on donor acceptance today call for donors to only come forwards if they have had safe sexual conduct in the past few months, with the rules making no mention of the gender of any party. Safety is paramount – especially in a country combating various blood-borne diseases – but a part of safety comes from correct and unbiased information.
In this, WCBS has been true to its word, and likewise, in its development over time, it has repeatedly pushed to be the most beneficial and advanced organisation it can be. With the hard work of its staff and the continued generosity of its donors, WCBS is able to do its bit to protect the Western Cape and the people in it, come rain or shine, in the face of pandemics and epidemics alike. Its company slogan calls potential donors and supports to “Do something remarkable”, but the organisation is definitely earning that term itself.
Written by Alice Instone-Brewer
Opened in 1989, Yaya Chemist has spent the past 33 years raising the bar for pharmacies in Kenya. Taking inspiration from her time abroad in Australia and the UK, the chemist’s founder, Smruti Patel, has sought to reinvent what a Kenyan pharmacy can offer and, in her own, she has been successful. We spoke with Smruti about Yaya Chemist and the services it provides, how it got to the point it is at today, its strides in empowering female employees, and her dreams for its future development.
Yaya Chemist is located on the ground floor of the Yaya Centre, a go-to shopping centre in Nairobi. Its position within the mall makes it easy-access to anyone seeking medication or medical advice, and it has held this same spot since the centre first opened in 1989. “We’ve had the same location right from day one,” Smruti told us. “The mall was under construction and they wanted a pharmacy, so we applied. Out of 50 applications, I was selected, and I started the pharmacy from scratch.”
Having qualified in the UK, Smruti went on to work as a pharmacist there for several years before returning to Kenya, where she soon found the field lacking in many of the extra offerings she had experienced. “I realised that there was a gap in the retail pharmacy industry in Nairobi at that time, and decided to open one of my own with services on a par with the UK.” Yaya Chemist and its team value accuracy and ethics, striving to provide the highest level of customer service that it can and priding itself on keeping pace with world trends. From the start, Smruti introduced a computerized system whilst other pharmacies were still working by paper, and she has continued to update this system as time moved on. The industry has progressed since 1989 and so has Smruti, and she still has plans enough to keep Yaya Chemist moving forwards for the forseeable future. “I’m passionate – I’m passionate about my pharmacy.”
So, what were some of the key, game-changing elements that Smruti introduced to Yaya Chemist? One of the most important additions were consultation services: inspired by what she had seen overseas, Smruti invested in the staff and equipment to be able to offer tests for blood pressure, blood sugar, body composition, bone density and cholesterol, and to discuss the results and their implications with the customer. Yaya Chemist is not simply a shop, but somewhere that people can go to for a reliable opinion before they take more costly avenues:
“Some people don’t want to go to a doctor straight away, because everything is private here. Our tests are a very minimal chargefor blood pressure monitoring, it’s about 100 KES, which isn’t even £1. For cholesterol or body composition, we charge 1,500 KES, which is about £10. However, we don’t play doctors: people have confidence that we will channel them to the doctors if necessary.”
As well as these medical tests, Yaya Chemist has gotten ahead of a trend by offering herbal and homeopathic services, as well as counselling for nutritional health given by a qualified full-time nutritionist. The pharmacists and nutritionist also work together to advise on any interactions that may occur between nutrients, diet and the medications a patient is on, which is a service that would be more costly and hard to come by from a doctor. The store itself even sells glucometers, blood pressure monitors, humidifiers and malaria testing kits for people to use themselves, as well as mobility aids.
Finally, on the cosmetics side, the team includes a beauty assistant who is well-versed in both local and international brands, both of which are stocked. Even ear-piercing services are provided, and with a well-versed beautician overseeing this side of the business, customers are in safe and well-informed hands no matter which aspect of the chemists’ services they are there for.
On the customer-facing side of things, these services were really what set Yaya Chemist apart,
but of course, over the past two years, life became more remote. It was during this time that Smruti and her team began to examine what they could offer remotely, instead of what they could add in-store. The answer was deliveries. During the Covid period, the company launched two different approaches to handling a delivery service. To begin with, as an immediate response to the pandemic, the chemists started using WhatsApp: customers simply have to message with their order or a valid prescription, and after being prepared and double checked by a pharmacist and pharmacy technician, the order is out and on its way to them in less than an hour. This has proven an extremely popular system, with 10% of Yaya’s business now carried out in this way even after the pandemic has begun to ease up.
More recently, the chemists also launched a second online service – one that took longer to prepare. This was the Yaya Chemist website. Currently, this website is set up for cosmetics sales only, as laws are not in place to allow prescription pharmaceuticals to be sold or delivered over the internet in this way. However, always looking
forwards, when Smruti commissioned her website she had it built for a full online service, medicines and all: this way, she is ready for the change as and when laws concerning chemists and ecommerce change.
All of this is fantastic, but for Smruti, reforming pharmacies behind the scenes was just as important as reforming customer experience. This meant reforming the experience of the staff. In particular, as a female business owner in the pharmaceutical field, she knew of the challenges faced by her fellow female pharmacists, and was passionate about making a difference. As it stood, obstacles made it difficult for women to stay in their profession once having a family: after training, qualifying and committing to this field, needing to drop out of it was not only unfair on the women losing their career, but a terrible loss for Kenya. Smruti decided, in her pharmacy at least, to make a change:
“I knew how hard it was to run a pharmacy as a working mum, juggling things at home. Every mother in a profession faces this challenge, but a pharmacy has long hours, as well.” For the sake of their customers having ease of access, Yaya Chemist not only has long opening hours, but also stays open on Sundays and all public holidays. This burden can be shared equally between the team, to make sure that everyone has a home-work balance, but it can still make things difficult for a mother who is expected to look after her children as well to hold their own within a team. Smruti didn’t want to see talented and qualified women leaving the profession because of this. She responded by allowing flexible and part-time working hours. “It has made a huge difference. Even if it’s half a day or a few hours, they’re still professionally connected.” This change has allowed Smruti to employ a largely female team, and this focus on the preservation of female pharmacists’ careers, and other female employees’ careers as well, has had a huge impact on their worklife balance and, ultimately, their futures.
Another way in which Smruti empowers her staff – male and female – is through group presentations. Her staff take it in turns to give each other 30-minute presentations on different subjects that fall within their individual medical expertise, thus further educating the rest of the team as
well as encouraging her staff’s confidence in their own knowledge and public speaking abilities. This confidence is paid forwards, as Smruti encourages all staff to be creative in helping their customers, for example in proposing alternative solutions when a particular product is not available.
This much thought and effort, both towards customers and staff, paid off: in 2009, Yaya Chemist was given an award marking it as one of the best pharmacies in Kenya, and Smruti has been approached repeatedly by other malls asking her to branch out into their locations. However, for Smruti, she would currently prefer to concentrate on making her current store as good as it can be, rather than splitting her focus. “I work not for money, but for passion. I just believe in giving good service and in using my knowledge to the best level I can.” However, this interest could mark a change for Kenyan pharmacies, if more of Smruti’s competitors begin to follow suit and implement more of the services and resources that Yaya Chemists provides.
Those services don’t stop coming, either. As well as continuing to establish and expand their new delivery systems and online presence, Smruti is already looking forwards to the newest additions she
would like to bring in to Yaya Chemist’s repertoire. Wisely, she intends to bring these in gradually and to stagger the change, both so that her customers and her staff don’t have too much too fast. However, she’s always looking to the next step:
“Customers might have a lot of drugs at home – drugs from over the counter, drugs from the pharmacy, drugs from years ago. So, I would like to start a yearly Brown Bag Review, as I would call it. The idea is that they bring their drugs from home in a brown bag, and we review it all. Are they taking it properly? Has it expired? Do they need it? I would also like to do a multiple drug check-up – that is, if someone is on multiple drug therapies, we provide a medication review. This is especially important for elderly patients – sometimes, they are taking so many drugs, and there are so many interactions that they may not know about. So, that is another service I would like to offer – there is nothing like that here at the moment.”
As a part of the coming Brown Bag review, and already existing as a service, Yaya Chemist is able to safely dispose of people’s expired medicine for them: rather than sending it to a landfill, the safe way to dispose of it is by incineration. This is something
Yaya does for its own expired drugs, and is able to take in ones from the public as well. “Giving that awareness to the public is important: people might just throw it in the gutter, but if they bring their Brown Bag, we can advise them and dispose of it for them.” This is a part of Yaya Chemist’s attempts to be responsible towards the environment: also to this end, it has a no-plastic policy, and is cautious to incinerate collected expired stock once every six months, rather than frequently.
Overall, what Smruti has created is fantastic: having built it up from scratch and now not only ‘keeping up’ but leading the way, it is no surprise that other malls have approached Smruti themselves. Whilst Yaya is currently staying put, its message travels outwards, showing what can be done and encouraging, even daring others to do the same. This could, hopefully, be the beginning of an exciting shift, and one that we’ll watch with interest. The additional services, or the important shift for female pharmacists – if either of these could take off, it would make an incredible change. If both do, then all the better! Whatever happens, we’ll know where to look to credit where it began.
