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New life-saving lung biopsy technology donated to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital

Directly addressing the high incidences of lung disease in South Africa, the pulmonology department at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) is the first beneficiary of the #BetterTomorrowStartsHere initiative. The project is funded from the R12 million pledged by Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais, which was inspired by the Springbok Rugby World Cup victory last year.


The donation sees the pulmonology department at the CMJAH receive state-of-the-art pulmonary equipment to assist the hospital in conducting surgical biopsies more efficiently and timeously.


According to the World Health Organization's 2023 research, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, for both men and women. Research shows that South Africa has one of the highest rates of pulmonary illnesses, ranking among the top ten countries globally for lung cancer cases and recording more than 280,000 tuberculosis diagnoses annually.


The lack of adequate facilities to perform lung biopsies stands out as a major barrier to accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of lung cancer, contributing to the high number of deaths. For accurate diagnosis, larger pieces of lung tissue are required, and without access to proper biopsy facilities, pulmonologists are limited in their ability to obtain sufficient tissue samples. This limitation often leads to delays in diagnosis, allowing the disease to progress to advanced stages where treatment options are limited, and the prognosis is poor.


To assist tackle this issue, Dis-Chem’s #BetterTomorrowStartsHere initiative, spearheaded by the Dis-Chem Foundation, donated the ERBECRYO® 2, a cutting-edge piece of equipment that expedites surgical biopsy procedures, ultimately reducing the burden of lung cancer. Furthermore, this equipment will reduce the hospital’s reliance on cardio-thoracic surgeons to obtain sufficient lung biopsies, allowing them to focus on other critical procedures, and freeing up much-needed surgical resources within the public health sector.


This advancement promises to reduce waiting times for diagnoses, conserves resources, alleviates patient stress, and eases the burden on the public health sector.


“The ability to breathe easily is fundamental to well-being and speaks directly to quality of life. The distressing lung disease statistics in South Africa call for interventions that contribute towards lessening the burden of lung disease in South Africa,” says Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais.

“This support of the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital’s pulmonology department is a step towards addressing challenges in pulmonary health and aligns to Dis-Chem’s commitment to elevating primary healthcare across as broad a base of South Africans as possible,” he explains. “By addressing these pulmonary health challenges, we are living out our


#BetterTomorrowStartsHere commitment to bettering our country’s primary healthcare,” adds Rui.


Apart from the technology aspect, another key aspect of the #BetterTomorrowStartsHere initiative is furthering education in pulmonology by extending its support to the professional development of pulmonologists. Dr Titus Gideon, a pulmonologist based at CMJAH, will attend a three-month fellowship at the World Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology in Turkey.


Expressing his gratitude, Dr. Titus says, "Being granted the opportunity to attend this fellowship is a major step forward in my career, fostering advanced learning and innovation in my field. I will be able to bring back the expertise, spread the knowledge amongst peers, and in this way, grow our interventional pulmonology unit, allowing us to provide better care to our patients."


The R12 million investment, linked to the 12 winning points scored in the final Rugby World Cup match, is intended to assist in addressing South Africa's most urgent challenges. The aim is to use the funds sustainably to improve the lives of fellow South Africans, creating lasting positive impacts for both individuals and communities. Dis-Chem’s 22 000 staff members voted for causes close to their hearts that they believe deserve support, resulting in the first initiative being directed towards CMJAH’s pulmonary department.


"This investment signifies a symbol of hope and unity. It underscores the strength of coming together to drive positive change and inspire a nation. Dis-Chem remains committed to directing the pledged R12 million to invest in momentum change, taking the newfound sense of hope as a catalyst for a better tomorrow," Rui concludes.

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