Local procurement: good for the earth, good for our patients

Mediclinic has focused extensively on local supplier engagements in the past year to create value for our patients.

As a respected healthcare provider, we believe in creating value in a broader sense by taking responsibility for our actions beyond our facilities. This calls for a sustainable approach in everything we do.

“Procuring products that are manufactured locally stimulates the local economy, reduces our carbon footprint and enables us to forward direct cost-saving initiatives to our patients,” says Janine de Villiers, Procurement Manager: Outsourced Services, Mediclinic Southern Africa.

We are also concluding a national tender for the management of our general waste. The aim is to reduce waste to landfill by maximising recycling and using composting for food waste, as well as other diversion strategies. This is the next step in reaching our goal of zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Working with partners like this, we are better together – creating a stronger future for the next generation.

Read more about five local manufacturers that Mediclinic is supporting:

Logan Medical & Surgical

Company overview

Logan Medical & Surgical (LMS) is a healthcare company that produces a stream of innovative products. It hires staff from local communities and employs more than 200 people from disadvantaged backgrounds. LMS tries to minimise product waste at all its sites. It has implemented advanced in-house systems to make production more efficient and to reduce waste.

LMS also recycles or repurposes all product waste, and solar energy at its manufacturing site reduces greenhouse gas emissions and mitigates climate change. In addition, LMS aims to reduce water usage and, in an extension of its involvement, sponsors many charities and outreach programmes.

Mediclinic’s relationship

LMS supported us during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ve entered into a preferred agreement with the company on non-woven products, such as mop caps, surgeon berets and overshoes – an essential product range that helps us manage operational costs. The raw materials used during the manufacturing process are sourced locally.

K2 Medical

Company overview

K2 Medical is part of the black- owned and managed Kahma Group. It is a manufacturer and distributor of solution-oriented medical devices for the local healthcare market, and is actively engaged in transformation, with a particular focus on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Its workforce is 58% female and 40% of employees are black women.

Mediclinic’s relationship

Mediclinic has agreements in place with K2 Medical for the supply of locally manufactured pressure transducers, which are used extensively in our critical care environment. We also have a long-term relationship with K2 to supply Mother and Baby bags for new mothers. A team of five women who are all from historically disadvantaged backgrounds manages and assembles these items for Mediclinic.

Sinapi Biomedical

Company overview

Sinapi Biomedical completes the design, manufacturing and supply of plastic medical devices under the banner “For Africa out of Africa”. The product range consists of chest drainage systems, urinary drainage units, urinary collection cups, single- use scalpels, uterine balloon tamponades (UBT), specimen cups, and nutritional feeding utensils. Sinapi exports these medical devices. The company contributes to skills and socio- economic development of black and female ownership, supports local community projects and programmes, such as job creation for women, schools, and sports programmes.

Mediclinic’s relationship

Mediclinic has agreements in place with Sinapi Biomedical for the supply of chest drains and urine meters to our hospitals. We also use the Ellavi UBT, a product specifically designed by Sinapi to stop postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). The company makes it available to the wider at-need population at a more affordable price. PPH causes a third of maternal deaths worldwide and our working relationship could have a significant impact on the success of this business.

Compass Medical Waste Services

Company overview

Compass Medical Waste Services provides healthcare risk waste (HCRW) treatment and disposal services to hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Solutions include containers, on-site management, transport, treatment and disposal of medical waste. The company also assists with training and compliance, ensuring healthcare workers comply with regulations governing HCRW management. Its shareholding structure and support of small business development empowers a broad base of individuals, communities and non-profit organisations. In 2014, Compass began focusing on transformation, moving from B-BBEE Level 8 to B-BBEE Level 1 status in 2020.

Mediclinic’s relationship

Compass plays an important role in improving how Mediclinic manages large-scale HCRW in a way that is better for the environment. We work together and put into action recycling programmes for various types of waste, such as glass vials, plastics, and other recyclable items. Our aim is to decrease the harm to the environment caused by the disposal of healthcare waste by supporting recycling initiatives.

• Our partnership contributes to reducing waste to landfill in several ways:
• Compass has introduced and improved solutions for HCRW, such as using reusable containers made from recycled plastic, and recovering treated waste materials for recycling.
• The company diverts waste from landfills, making the healthcare industry more sustainable.
• It has also developed special processes used for collecting, treating, and recycling glass vials used in the healthcare industry. Compass is helping us to reduce the amount of waste we generate and to become more sustainable by recycling vials.

Western Province Caterers

Company overview

Western Province Caterers (WPC) is a South African-owned business that offers innovative, quality catering in five sectors: healthcare; retirement; corporate; industrial; and education. It aims to economically empower its employees, to allow them to translate democracy into a meaningful reality in their lives.

WPC provides nutrition in hospitals that takes into consideration a patient’s age, religious, cultural and social background, and their medical conditions.

Mediclinic’s relationship

In our recent catering tender, we focused on reducing food waste, energy use, and saving other resources used in preparing meals. We did this by altering meal specifications to allow a “one-type-many-ways” dinner service: build-your-own pastas, salads, wraps, fruit platters, etc. This includes extra fresh meal options, such as fruit and salad portions, so patients can tailor their meals to include items they prefer – without à la carte cooking and preparation time.

This reduces food waste but still offers variety to patients. WPC uses an electronic patient meal-ordering system that is more efficient.

We have supported the company since 2009 in South Africa and Namibia.

- Extract from the Transformation Publication 2023