In this era of escalating climate crises, South Africa’s largest private health care company, Netcare, exemplifies a profound commitment to sustainability. Embracing the ethos that hospitals and health care systems now have an obligation as per the Hippocratic oath to "first do no harm" to the planet, it is pioneering efforts to mitigate environmental impact, underscoring the intrinsic link between environmental health and human health. “There can be no care for people without care for the environment — the two are inextricably intertwined,” said Netcare Environmental Sustainability Manager André Nortjé in a February 2024 interview.
By committing to renewable energy use, promoting a circular economy, and leveraging digital technologies, Netcare is setting a powerful example for the health care industry worldwide to follow. Doing so is not only an ethical imperative but a practical necessity for the future of health care.
Commit to clean energy
Netcare’s move to sustainability was sparked in response to the energy supply shortages and rolling blackouts that hit South Africa in 2013. Electricity prices spiked. “We realized that if we didn’t act, the sustainability of healthcare could be threatened,” Nortje explained. By 2015, Netcare’s first solar photovoltaic plant was being installed. Now, 72 solar installations countrywide produce some 10% of Netcare’s total energy requirements. For instance, the solar photovoltaic panels that cover the roof of Netcare Montana Hospital provide 683 megawatt-hour of energy annually. Like all Netcare hospitals, the rooftop plant is combined with smart metering to monitor energy use and to keep systems such as energy-reliant heating, ventilation, and air conditioning working optimally.
Heat pumps and heat reclaiming systems are now standard design requirements, as are up-to-date LED lights and motion sensors. Water recycling and saving mechanisms are in place. New technology makes savings too; the autoclaves, for example, contain technology that sterilizes theater tools using two-thirds less water than before. Macerators pulp recyclable bedpans, saving 80% of the water once needed to wash and sterilize them.
Drive renewable energy expansion
Although these measures put a dent in the hospital’s energy bill, the solar systems alone can’t provide the stable supply needed by, for example, theaters. Reliance on dirty, diesel generators, during power outages caused by “loadshedding” — a method to balance the demand and supply of electricity within the state — cost Netcare over 100 million South African rands — about $54,000 — in the first half of 2023. This highlights the need for stable, renewable power.
Netcare has committed to using 100% of its purchased energy from renewable energy sources by 2030, but its ambitious goals extend beyond its own operations. Netcare has just signed a major private partnership deal with an independent renewable energy producer to supply six hospitals with up to 100% of their energy needs from green energy by 2026. As Africa’s first health care organization to join the United Nations’ Race to Zero Challenge 2050, it aims to produce zero emissions not only from operations on site, but all through the supply chain.
We want all of our suppliers to start reducing their emissions, Nortjé said. Green procurement requirements in tender processes will encourage the 4,000 companies Netcare deals with to act on sustainability. “If companies respond and become greener, it will be to their advantage,” he added.
In fact, it will be to everyone’s advantage. It’s a perfect illustration of the interconnectedness of the health care system and the importance of a shared commitment. As an innovation leader in medical technology, the role of Siemens Healthineers is to effectively support our clients and partners in advancing their sustainability goals, while the same commitment also drives our own efforts to achieve our goals. A case in point: by rethinking resources, we promote the shift toward circularity and eco-friendly products keeping repairability in mind.
Creating a positive impact across the globe, together
Together, we have a responsibility to create new possibilities for health system sustainability. And together, we’re doing it. From providing free mammograms to thousands of women in the U.S., to providing stroke services in Vietnam’s remote Mekong Delta, discover our impact on health care and hospital sustainability through these stories. Learn more here.
Promote a circular economy
Hospitals must treat waste as a commodity now. Innovative recycling programs can enable hospitals to reuse, recycle, and reclaim where possible. Netcare’s MyWalk initiative, for example, transforms recycled polyvinyl chloride drip bags into school shoes for underprivileged children.
In the same vein, medical equipment needs to be designed to allow for reuse or upcycling of parts. According to Nortjé, products need a shelf life, so that the world moves with technology as it advances, with parts easily replaceable with updated and more efficient alternatives. He also advocates for locally manufactured spare parts, as this helps with transportation carbon costs.
Leverage digitalization across operationsç
Intelligent systems that enable real-time monitoring and ensure optimal performance and timely maintenance of equipment are critical in a hospital setting. Remote diagnostics help monitor the complex heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system — which in a typical hospital can consume up to 50% of energy.
At Netcare Montana Hospital, timesaving apps also help managers plan the best utilization of the technical team. Digital data collection and a secure platform allow for accessible electronic patient records, long-distance diagnosis and care, as well as efficiency in dispensing medicine — all of which save resources and valuable care team time. Netcare, like all South African health care facilities, is in a position where they will need to do more with less. By optimizing operations and deploying the best technology and innovations available, hospitals can supply quality care to greater numbers of patients — in a more sustainable way.
This is where medical technology is critical. Siemens Healthineers provides a broad portfolio of digital solutions that enable efficient operations and can leverage its unique strength in digital, data, and artificial intelligence to advance providers’ operations with technology-enabled services.
As well as contributing to a more positive future, saving energy and reducing operational expenses means hospitals and health care companies are ultimately contributing to containing the cost of health care for the patient. As Nortjé puts it: “[If we] can provide better, safer health care at reduced cost, [it] makes access to health care a little easier. If we all cut down on losses and waste, there will be more to go around for everyone.”
Visit our sustainability page to read more about how Siemens Healthineers is creating new possibilities in a world of limited resources through our technologies and innovative solutions.
About the author
Janine Stephen
Janine Stephen is an award-winning journalist based in South Africa whose work has appeared in international and local publications such as South Africa’s The Sunday Times. Health care is one of her focus areas.
