Bringing comfort closer for patients, two healthcare companies have joined forces in support of Bertha Gxowa Hospital, a Gauteng provincial facility.

Custom-made chairs were supplied by Universal Care to help meet the need for comfortable seating in specific waiting areas around the Germiston hospital while 1,755 pairs of hospital pyjamas, nightdresses and gowns for patients ranging from the ages of one to 12 years were provided by Performance Health. 

“Our ongoing relationship with state healthcare facilities such as Bertha Gxowa Hospital enables us to respond swiftly to critical needs, from antimicrobial and sporicidal curtains to these essential comfort items,” said Dr Nono Ledwaba-Mweli, medical director of Universal Care.

“This collaboration is vital not only for immediate improvements but also for building a sustainable healthcare system where patient dignity and comfort are prioritised alongside clinical care.”

Dr Mandisa Maholwana, MD at Performance Health, said: “Patient comfort plays a crucial role in recovery and morale. We remain committed to supporting healthcare facilities wherever possible.”

On Friday, 700 pairs of shoes were handed over to children at a rural school in Magaliesburg.

The event was to acknowledge the milestone of 300,000 pairs of school shoes donated by the “My Walk Made With Soul” NPO since its inception in 2020 as an upcycling collaboration between Netcare and Adcock Ingram Critical Care.

The shoes are made from recycled materials from Adcock Ingram’s Critical Care manufacturing facility, which produces drip bags and tubing from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and offcuts from participating Netcare hospitals in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The uncontaminated bags, tubing, and other PVC materials are sorted within the hospitals, then collected and washed, ready to be converted into granules, which are melted down and moulded into shoes.

It takes just 17 seconds to produce one shoe and only a minute to manufacture two pairs of school shoes.

One pair of school shoes for a pupil costs R35. Bulk sponsorships can be made via the charity.

Explaining the need, Marietjie Rothmann, head of human capital at Adcock Ingram Critical Care, said, “It is a sobering reality that school shoes remain out of reach for an estimated 5-million children in Quintile One and Two schools nationwide.”