Planning for more Affordable Health Care
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Forthcoming Congress: Planning for more Affordable Health Care
Managing the provision, operation and maintenance of health facilities and
equipment as part of an integrated health service.
8 to 10 October, 1997
Sun City, South Africa
Joint Southern African Regional Congress on Health Buildings and Equipment
organised by the Southern African Federation of Hospital Engineering
(SAFHE) and the Southern African Association for Clinical Engineering
(SAACE) in association with the African Federation for Technology in Health
Care (AFTH), the World Health Organisation and the Biomedical Engineering
Society of South Africa (BESSA).
Planning for more Affordable Health Care
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South Africa is in the process of restructuring its health services in
order to ensure equitable and affordable health care services for all its
population. This change provides a unique opportunity to review and refocus
all areas of health service management.
Of particular concern to health planners is ensuring the provision of an
appropriate and affordable environment for all levels of health care
through all stages of the life cycle of buildings and equipment. Service
providers own enormous existing estates that need to be maintained,
upgraded and adapted to meet changing service needs. Limited new capacity
also needs to be added to replace old facilities, fill service gaps or
provide for growth.
This environment opens significant opportunities for innovation in a broad
range of areas such as managing complex estates of buildings and equipment
through all stages of the product life cycle, recycling of existing
facilities and equipment, planning and designing more efficient,
appropriate environment, buildings and equipment maintenance, and service
funding and building construction processes.
The issues involved are particularly relevant not only to South Africa, but
also to other developing countries in the Southern African region and
elsewhere.
Those involved in the provision and management of health facilities
and equipment can get together to review:
# the environment and nature of the problems facing those
managing large health estates
# progress achieved to date
# possible options, solutions and lessons to be learnt and shared
# innovative new ideas
# potential benefits that can be achieved through a co-ordinated,
interdisciplinary approach
Participation is invited from health service planners, architects,
engineers, administrators, medical equipment managers and maintenance
personnel in both the public and private sectors in South and Southern
Africa.
Congress theme and topics
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Four broad themes are envisaged:
1 review of the existing estate (facilities, equipment, maintenance,
funding, etc.)
2 review of new medical technology trends and issues relating to
the existing health service environment which will impact on the
provision and management of the health care estate (including IT,
day surgery, minimally invasive surgery, infection in hospitals,
TB, AIDS, etc.)
3 maintaining and revitalising the existing health estate
(maintenance procedures, in-house or contracted services, staffing
and training needs - means and opportunities for dealing with the
current reality)
4 integrated and innovative strategic level procurement, and project
level planning and design (growing the health estate within
developing country realities)
Programme
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A mixture of plenary and parallel sessions are envisaged for those
primarily involved with facilities and those primarily involved with
equipment. However, the focus will continue to be on seeking opportunities
for all professionals to interact and to achieve a greater understanding of
each others roles, responsibilities and areas of work.
Wednesday 8 October Afternoon/Evening
Registration
Welcoming cocktail party
Professional Societies national
meetings
Thursday 9 October Full day
Conference plenary
and parallel sessions
Evening
African bush dinner
Friday 10 October Morning
Conference parallel
sessions
Afternoon
Conference plenary sessions and
closure
Call for papers
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The submission should consist of a cover page and an abstract of the paper.
The presentation time will normally be 30 minutes of which 10 minutes
should be allowed for questions.
The cover page should contain:
# The title of the paper
# The proposed track (1, 2, 3 and 4)
# Your full name and title (Mr., Dr., Prof.)
# Name of your employer
# Your job title
# A brief CV of 50 to 100 words
The abstract should contain brief details of the main areas of your
presentation and should be between 200 and 500 words.
Also supply your contact details; postal address, telephone, fax, e-mail
and an alternative contact name such as your secretary.
Please send two laser printed copies of your proposal to:
SAFHE Programme Committee
Strategic Business Service (Pty) Ltd.
P O Box 1059, Oakdale 7534
South Africa
Tel: +27-21-919-9099
Fax: +27-21-919-9095
E-mail: registrar@sbs.co.za
Deadline date - Submission of proposals: 15 June 1997
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Sponsorships
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Sponsorship opportunities exist for organisations to gain exposure by
sponsoring any of the following items:
Advertising brochures, Speaker notes, Name badges, Cocktail Parties,
Lunches, Transport, Final programme, Shoulder bags, Ring binders, pads and
pens
Exhibition
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Exhibition space is available. For more details contact SBS enquiries.
John Ruiter
mailto:lpcru@relay01.iafrica.com
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