A Message From
NHN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
"I take great pride in opening this inaugural edition of the NHN Hospital e-Directory. The NHN constitutes a large and diverse hospital group, a one stop information hub will be of invaluable assistance to our various stakeholders." - Neil Nair
Addressing Healthcare Market Imbalance
The NHN was established as a response to the competition imbalance between the independent private hospital market on the one hand, and the 3 (three) large hospital groups on the other. Historically privileged entrepreneurs joined hands with their historically disadvantaged black counterparts and formed the NHN as a public company in 1996, when most of the discriminatory laws which were used to exclude a large majority of the black population from participating in the economy of the country were still in place.
In fact, the founding members emerged during a period marked by the economic exclusion and exploitation of black people, most of whom were relegated to abject poverty. Most commercial banks and financial institutions implemented fragmented, racially based business- support policies and programmes which had a particular impact on most businesses at the time – most of which were the majority of small and medium micro enterprises owned and controlled by historically disadvantaged persons which were subjected to financial and commercial secrecy which epitomised the apartheid state.
Coincidentally, the formation of the NHN coincided with the adoption of the final Constitution of South Africa in 1996. The aim of the NHN was for independent private hospitals to coordinate efforts at opening up the private hospital economy to previously excluded groups in order to mitigate the high concentration which was embedded in the big 3 (three) hospital groups for the longest time.
At the time of its formation in 1996, a majority of the independent private healthcare members of the NHN could not effectively and individually compete against the 3 (three) large hospital groups which, by then, had already established and positioned themselves to provide services in a multitude of healthcare disciplines. One of the advantages enjoyed by all the 3 (three) big hospital groups is the greater national geographical footprint, especially acute hospital beds which the NHN does not enjoy.
Despite that the Competition Act had not been promulgated at the time, the winds of change had signalled the dawn of a competition regime which would foster economic inclusion. As if prophetic, the NHN entrenched economic inclusion as one of its primary objectives in its Memorandum of Incorporation (‘NHN MOI’). This objective is one of the pillars of the Competition Act which was promulgated 2 (two) years later in 1998.
More than a decade later in 2007 the NHN was incorporated as a non-profit company and, since then, its flagship has been to serve as a competitive counterbalance to the 3 (three) large hospital groups which by then had long solidified their market strength. What is more, the NHN also promotes the interests of its members, markets their services and provides a base for benchmarking, which not only assists NHN members to increase efficiencies but – as importantly – attempts to ensure the quality of service that medical schemes and administrators require from service providers.
ABOUT
The NHN is a registered company (in terms of the Companies Act, 2008), and comprises independent private hospitals, working together as a hospital group. By ‘independent’ is meant that membership in the NHN is limited to private hospitals which are not ‘owned’ or ‘controlled’ by any of the 3 (three) listed hospital groups consisting of Mediclinic Southern Africa, the Netcare Hospital Group, and Life Healthcare.
NHN
SERVICES CATALOGUE
HIGHLIGHTS
R18bn
Group Revenue
573,350
Group Admissions
210
Hospitals
11.5%
Hospital Growth
11,957
Beds
Adopted the NHN
Quality Charter
Implemented NHN
Membership Information System (MIS)
27
Total ARMs negotiated with Funders
15
Total successful tenders
98.8%
Funder negotiation success rate
27 Years
NHN in existence
Thank you
A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health, demonstrates how nurses are central to addressing a wide range of health challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife,” in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. As we celebrate National Nurses’ Day on 12 May 2020, we thank our nurses and midwifes for their bravery, commitment and dedication…
