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South Africa has a highly unequal two-tiered healthcare system. Most people simply cannot afford private healthcare, leaving more than 80% of the population reliant on a severely strained public health system.
Because Islamic Relief understands health as the backbone of any resilient and thriving community, we are committed to improving access to healthcare in the communities that we serve. We support the rehabilitation of health facilities and provide training for healthcare workers to improve the quality of care. We also promote and support activities that contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities across South Africa.
The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Gauteng, is the largest on the continent, and the third largest in the world, serving patients from across Southern Africa.
In 2023, as part of our commitment to supporting the healthcare sector and prioritising mental health and holistic wellbeing in the country, we undertook the considerable task of transforming a derelict hospital building to meet the National Department of Health’s standards for the admission and treatment of mental health patients. We also constructed an additional building, attached to the refurbished one, to accommodate consultation, procedural, administrative and changing rooms, a staff kitchen and bathrooms.
The upgraded facilities were officially handed over to the Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness on 17 November 2023, at an opening ceremony attended by the Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, several healthcare professionals and community leaders.
This initiative has increased the psychiatric ward’s admission capacity to 21 beds and has helped to ensure that patients have access to state-of-the-art facilities and an environment that is conducive to recovery and healing. The new facilities are also intended to help boost the morale of hospital staff, which will in turn impact the quality of care provided at this facility.
This public-private partnership will serve as a model for future mental health initiatives, fostering a culture of compassion, understanding and support for those facing mental health challenges.
In October 2024, IRSA partnered with the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Dentistry Faculty through a multi-million rand contribution to enhance dental outreach initiatives in under-resourced communities across the Western Cape.
This comprehensive investment into dental health included more than R4 million for dental services in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain; a denture programme for elderly people across Cape Town; and weekend outreach programmes in Swellendam, Ceres and Saldanha.
Dental health is often overlooked in favour of more pressing needs but, when not adequately maintained, the pain and knock-on effects of inadequate dental care can be debilitating.