Mediclinic Southern Africa expands care to include renal services

Mediclinic will be launching a number of renal services units across the country under the auspices of Mediclinic Renal Services, with many units located in areas where these services are not traditionally broadly available.

Mediclinic began the process of expanding the service offering, adding to the current acute care services, with the introduction of day case clinics. This was further broadened by the inclusion of mental health facilities, primary care services, and most recently oncology and renal services.

Koert Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa, has prioritised this expanded access to care within the business. “We understand that many specialised healthcare services are concentrated in larger towns and cities, but for renal care, which requires a long-term relationship between the patient and service provider, local and convenient access is vital.”

Mediclinic Bloemfontein Renal Services was the first centre to open in the first quarter of 2021, and is located in close proximity to Mediclinic Bloemfontein. The centre will offer both haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis to patients in the hospital, as well as those within the community. Additional locations include Soweto, Potchefstroom, Highveld, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town, which are scheduled to open later this year.

Mediclinic Soweto Renal Services, opening shortly, offers an exciting opportunity as a standalone unit, expanding access into new communities for Mediclinic and providing the potential for being utilised as an NHI-type service offering. According to Brian Prinsloo, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Renal Services, “This model offers the long term scope of supporting state patients where they are experiencing large demand for care. We believe that these types of accessible services can lay the groundwork for far greater co-operation and support across sectors.”

Prinsloo continues, “We recognise that the reimbursement costs for dialysis are traditionally some of the most expensive treatments in the private sector. It is our aim to better understand and manage these costs, providing the best value while ensuring that we maintain expert clinical care to meet our patients’ expectations across the continuum of care.”

“Renal care is a chronic, long-term requirement for patients, where patients may often receive dialysis for four hours, 2-3 times a week. A strong relationship and trust between all the parties are essential. For this reason, Mediclinic believes that this offering will serve to support our patients in a way that addresses their need for value and easy access,” explains Pretorius.

Mediclinic Renal Services provides a unique service offering, including dedicated Medical Directors (nephrologists) for each unit, experienced staff within a patient-friendly environment, the option of undergoing dialysis on holiday in selected towns, and a range of entertainment through access to content via dedicated tablets at each dialysis station. “We want our patients to know that their care is our greatest priority and that we will be focusing on ensuring that their patient journey exceeds their expectations,” concludes Pretorius.