Industry News

Patient remains king

12 March 2009

In Categories: Nursing , Industry News , Industry News > General , Medic-Legal , Industry News > Patients

Last year the commitment to provide quality healthcare was epitomised by the many entries HASA received for the annual Hasa Awards of Excellence. Congratulations once again to the 2008 eventual winner, the Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa.

The Hasa Awards of Excellence are given to members of Hasa who excel at service delivery and go beyond the call of duty. The establishment of the Cholera Desk by the Private Sector Task Team (PTT) is an example of what this country can achieve if the private and public sectors join forces. The immediate task of the Cholera Desk is to co-ordinate the private sector’s response to the cholera outbreak that has lashed our republic, especially Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Well done to all involved.

In the same vein, hospital managers, matrons and communicators, are urged not only to foster public-private partnerships and other missions of excellence (as they normally do) but to also nominate those projects for the awards. Such initiatives deserve to be recognised, and the prestigious Hasa Award of Excellence 2009 to be held in the last week of November. Nonetheless, send all information/articles on your efforts throughout the year in order to be recognised for the award. Entries close on 15 October 2009.

The categories for the Hasa Awards remain:

"Promoting equity in healthcare;
“Keeping healthcare affordable;
“Involvement in or service to local community;
“Public-private sector co-operation;
“Establishing world-class medical services or technology; and
“Marketing the private hospital industry.

Every month HasaNEWS, the asscoiation’s newsletter, will publish the best entry. It gives me (and I speak on behalf of Hasa staff as well) so much pleasure to look at (and publicise) your excellent entries.

Last year, all entries showed the hard work members put into the improvement of the country’s healthcare delivery. The efforts of those that never received any award are not lost. The real winners are always our patients and immediate local communities. Let us continue to initiate projects around affordability and access and social responsibility. These elements, as you know, continue to drive debate around the provision of private healthcare.

Let me also familiarise you with another important event on our calendar - the Hasa Conference and Exhibition 2009. This time round this premier private healthcare industry event will be held at the picturesque Elangeni Hotel eThekwini, from 3 to 5 June 2009. Preparations for the event are well under way. Watch our website and newsletter for updates.

This conference promises to be special in many ways. For starters, it is taking place just after the election year when everyone is dreaming out loud about the future of the country and its healthcare systems. Second, it is held at a time when the industry enjoys the opening up of debate as a result of the new changes in the department of health. There is an air of openness in the sector and everyone is breathing again. Hasa had already wished the department of health wisdom at the beginning of the year, and we are convinced all efforts will be on building on what we have achieved as the broader public health sector.
 
I am sure everybody will agree with me it will be a pleasure for both the public and private sectors to continue working together to unlock the access gates towards quality healthcare services. Both Minister Hogan and her deputy Dr Molefi Sefularo are expected to bless the next Hasa conference with their leadership. To this end, this year’s overarching theme for our conference and exhibition is Together Towards Universal Healthcare.And yes, for the good of the republic's healthcare system we need to pull together.
 
My greatest wish for the rest of the year for all our member hospitals is continued success. Your accomplishment means that our patients are treated with the respect and care they deserve. Together, we can - even after the elections.

Lucas Malambe edits the Hasa website