Quro Medical joins forces with Operation Healing Hands to bring public-sector relief

Source: Supplied. Quro's Sister Vuyelwa is seen here with patient 'Ramasela' who received a knee replacement and hospital-at-home care thanks to Quro's new social-development partnership with Operation Healing Hands.

Operation Healing Hands was started by a group of doctors and other medical professionals in the private sector in 2016 as a Mandela Day project with the aim of providing life-changing surgeries to patients in need while fulfilling the ethical responsibility of the private healthcare sector in closing the socio-economic gap of patients in need of surgery.

“All of us at Operation Healing Hands are extremely excited about Quro Medical joining our initiative. Their hospital-at-home solution is a perfect accompaniment to the total service package we provide to patients in need,” says Helene Basson, chief executive officer of Operation Healing Hands.

“At Quro Medical, we are connected by our belief that the private healthcare sector can and should be doing more to shoulder the burden of healthcare provision in this country and on the continent generally.

"We have developed a solution that is responsive to the needs of our people. Our partnership with Operation Healing Hands is evidence of our commitment to join forces with those who share our vision and to work together to solve Africa’s intractable healthcare challenges,” says Vuyane Mhlomi, chief executive officer of Quro Medical.

On its first partnership project with Operation Healing Hands, Quro Medical provided hospital-level care at home to a 71-year-old Mangaye Ramasela, from Tshwane who received a total knee replacement.

Ramasela had been on a long waiting list in the public sector. This is a medical procedure she would never have been able to afford to pay for herself, and she did not have medical aid or insurance to cover the operation and subsequent recovery.

Along with five other partners, which included the surgeon, medical facility and operating theatre, prosthesis and financial support, Quro Medical provided Hospital-at-home care for the patient – keeping a constant eye on her vitals, progress and recovery as well as providing physiotherapy at home.

Says Ramasela: “The Quro Medical staff is professional, kind and caring. The remote monitoring is comforting knowing that there are people constantly watching me, checking up on me by means of virtual calls as well as home visits where nurses and clinicians come in to examine me.

"They do everything with an extra touch of care.”

The partnership with Operation Healing Hands, states Mhlomi, aligns with Quro Medical's vision which is “pushing the boundaries of innovation to deliver premium healthcare solutions that are more accessible and affordable for everyone.”

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As a fairly new company, Quro Medical is truly transforming the healthcare space by pioneering a market for safe, affordable private healthcare services and solutions in South Africa.

The company is committed to assisting patients in need who can't afford expensive medical services, like Ramasela, and is forging towards a point where it can serve as much of the uninsured population as possible.

“Our services help reduce the burden on the already strained healthcare system. Our involvement in Ramasela’s care is an example of our commitment to doing our part to take more patients “off the grid”,” Mhlomi adds:

Private-public partnerships essential

“We believe that the private sector can do more to shoulder the burden of healthcare provision because the public sector, which services the vast majority of the population, continues to be severely underfunded, relative to the private sector, which services a minority of the population.

"This disparity presents an opportunity for the private sector to innovate and develop models of care delivery that are more accessible to the uninsured population in order to reduce the pressure and burden on the public sector.

“The government’s obligation to ensure that the population has access to healthcare services is enshrined in the Constitution,” notes Mhlomi,

“However, we at Quro Medical believe that there is an opportunity for the private sector to play a role, along with the government, to achieve this objective.

"Through sponsorships and contributions to causes like Operation Healing Hands, Quro Medical is steadfast in delivering on its vision to share the responsibility and to work together with the public and private sectors to solve Africa’s complex healthcare challenges."