Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital VSD Week

As an organisation, we believe that no-one should be left behind in the pursuit of good health.

Together, Momentum Metropolitan’s health business and its investment arm, Momentum Investments, were honoured to be part of the recent VSD Week at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH). As contributors, we are dedicated to providing these life-changing cardiac surgeries to children in need, providing access and alleviating the burden on the healthcare delivery system.

Approximately 1 in 100 children are born with congenital heart defects (CHD) globally, with about 11 000 of them being born in South Africa. Unfortunately, far too few of them receive the life-saving treatments they need to reach adulthood. CHD is the second leading cause of children below one mortality, only being beaten out by infectious diseases.

Whilst National Health Insurance intends to provide equitable access to quality healthcare services for all health citizens, the challenges in achieving this goal are notably substantial. Within these challenges, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have proven to be a strategic tool that can help strengthen the healthcare system in South Africa and these collaborative efforts are key to achieving healthcare equity and sustainability.

The Investment and Health business divisions of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings contributed R1 million towards a week of much-needed cardiac surgeries, giving NMCH the opportunity to address the backlog in surgeries for children with congenital heart defects (CHD).

As Dr Ali Hamdulay, CEO of Momentum Health’s Public Segment pointed out, “Our aim – and sincere hope – was to facilitate the successful completion of surgeries for paediatric patients with CHD and other rare heart conditions, who have been awaiting surgery. We are proud to announce that we achieved this, providing 12 patients with lifesaving surgery. This initiative is just one of many where we are partnering for progress and executing on our Health purpose, to offer more health to more people, for less.”

Korousha Chetty, CFO Investments Momentum Metropolitan says, “This partnership was truly fate in the making. After an inspiring visit to NMCH, we were moved by the hospital’s dedication to providing a compassionate and child-friendly environment. As a mother of two, I understand the importance of this work, and I am deeply grateful to everyone involved. We are honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute towards a future filled with great health and happiness for these children.”

Collaborative efforts are key to achieving healthcare equity and sustainability. Public-private partnerships offer innovative solutions to challenges like limited resources and infrastructure gaps.

Dr Pinky Chirwa, Clinical Director at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, emphasises the significance of collaboration with private healthcare funders to help bridge the gap between public and private sectors, ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all children in South Africa. Together, we alleviate the backlog of heart surgeries, fulfilling Mandela’s vision of inclusive healthcare where no child is denied treatment due to their parent’s financial constraints.