The Carte Blanche Making A Difference Campaign continued its good work in improving South Africa’s public healthcare facilities with the handover of a brand-new R4.1-million neo-natal care centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on 2 February.

Sponsored by MTN; XStrata; GlaxoSmithKline; Estee Lauder; Standard Bank; Polyflor; Peter Bates Flooring; and Marcus Medical, the new facility incorporates a neo-natal theatre as well as doctors’ rooms; a recovery ward; and state-of-the-art new equipment.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development, Qedani Mahlangu, was on hand to help open the new facilities and emphasised the need to bring public healthcare standards up to those found in private facilities.

The facility has already been in operation for a short period – in fact, Baby Ashley, who was born with part of her heart outside her chest, was the first patient to be cared for using the new technology. Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital CEO, Mrs More, says that Ashley is doing well despite facing obvious health challenges.

The Carte Blanche Making A Difference Campaign has so far handed over facilities and equipment worth more than R67-million to public healthcare facilities across South Africa.