Analysts

Overview of private hospitals

The following statistics indicate the relative size of the industry per annum.

Total Number	Year	Private Sector Beds	Life Health Care	Mediclinic	Netcare
24154	2002	5942	6293	4880	7039
24314	2003	5341	6471	5485	7129
26593	2004	6770	6531	6173	7295
27138	2005	6995	6738	6250	7331
27443	2006	6855	6744	6533	7311
28467	2007	7265	6894	6732	7576

As of June 2007 there were 28426 private sector beds in total, of which 7224 were independently owned (not by Netcare, Mediclinic or Life). Of that 7224 a total number of 957 beds were within the mining sector, leaving 6267

The 2007 breakdown by hospital:

Hospital Group	Number of beds
Netcare Holdings (Listed Company)	7576
Mediclinic (Listed Company)	6732
Life Healthcare (Unlisted Company)	6894
Joint Medical Holdings (Unlisted Company)	357
Melomed (Unlisted Company)	388
Clinix (Unlisted Company)	657
Community Health	781
Gold Fields	869
Harmony	88
Other independents	4084
Total Private Sector Beds	28426

Psychiatric Hospitals within the Republic:
The total number of private Psychiatric Hospitals within South Africa is as follows:

• Bloemcare Psychiatric Hospital (70 beds);
  
• Claro Clinic (45 beds);
  
• Denmar Specialist Psychiatric Hospital (120 beds);
  
• George Mediclinic (40 bed annex to main hospital);
  
• Kenilworth Clinic (60 beds);
  
• Ikhwezi Neuro Clinic (60 beds);
  
• Life Entabeni Hospital ( 27 bed annex)
  
• Life Hunterscraig (35 beds);
  
• Life St. Marks (31 beds);
  
• Life Riverfield Lodge (66 beds);
  
• Parkmed Neuro Clinic (23 beds);
  
• Pines Clinic (24 beds);
  
• Riverview Manor Specialist Clinic (32 beds);
  
• Stepping Stones (35 beds);
  
• Tijger Clinic (21 beds):
  
• and Vista Clinic (127 beds)
  
  

The total number of private psychiatric health establishments (not all of which are hospitals) is 16. It is made up of 14 dedicated (specialist) psychiatric hospitals, and two annexes of main hospital. Many general hospitals, licensed in terms of Regulation 158 however, have psychiatric beds allocated to them. It is however, difficult to determine the exact number of psychiatric beds within these hospitals, as they are used for other services, including (but not limited to) paediatric care.

By 2007 the total number of psychiatric beds in the private sector amounted to 1071, of which 549 beds are independently owned.

Bed types:

Currently the sector is made up of the following bed types: medical, surgical; maternity; neonatal ICU; ICU; Specialised ICU; High Care; Paediatric; Psychiatric and Day Ward. (Description restricted to the private sector, as the State uses its own terminology)

Bed Type	Description.
Medical bed	Treatment of diseases that do not require surgery e.g. diabetes, pneumonia, AIDS, meningitis etc.
Surgical bed	General surgery involves any kind of operation done by a general surgeon e.g. appendicectomy, varicose veins, removal of tumours, incision and drainage of abscesses etc.
Maternity & Obstetrics	Any procedure or treatment involving fertility or childbirth.
Neonatal ICU bed	Where neonates are incubated and ventilated with half-hourly observations.
ICU bed	A specialized unit where trauma and general surgery patients who are being ventilated are nurses on a l : 1 ratio.
Specialised ICU bed	ICU specializing in specific cases such as Cardiothoracic ICU, Vascular ICU or Neurosurgical ICU. These patients are ventilated and nurses 1 : 1 with specialized equipment not found in general ICU.
High Care bed	A specialized unit where patients are nursed usually 1 nurse to 2 patients who require close monitoring, but are not ventilated.
Paediatric bed	Treatment of medical and surgical problems related to children under the age of 12 – 14.
Psychiatric bed	Treatment of mental health care users as defined within the Mental Health Care Act, 2002.
Gynaecology	Mostly surgical procedures involving female reproductive organs e.g. hysterectomy, D & C, abortions, fertility treatment etc.
Neonatal	The period immediately after the birth of a baby.
Neonatal High Care A	Where neonates are in an incubator on headbox oxygen. Hourly observations.
Neonatal High Care B	Where neonates are in an incubator with hourly observations.
Neonatal Ward	Neonates requiring no special care, except for tube or bottle feeding until the desired discharge weight is reached e.g. 2 kg.
Orthopaedics	Where surgery of the skeleton is done e.g. hip, knee and shoulder replacements.
Thoracic	Surgery of the chest e.g. lungs and oesophagus.
Cardiothoracic	Surgery of the heart.
Vascular	Surgery of the blood vessels e.g. veins and arteries.
Renal	Refers to surgery or medical care of the kidneys.
Urology	Surgery of the bladder and usually male genitalia involving the urinary system.

South Africa’s private hospital industry is truly a national asset of which the country and its citizens can be justifiably proud. Standards of medicine and care are rated amongst the finest and most cost-effective in the world. Indeed, our private hospital industry is the envy of many other countries.