Outreach Engineering —a youth-led, engineering non-profit organisation focused on improving healthcare outcomes in South Africa— and Wits Healthcare Innovation —a non-profit group within the University of the Witwatersrand’s Healthcare Consortium—are merging to scale up their impact and drive bottom-up innovation in healthcare. This follows a successful track record for both organisations in creating scalable solutions to South Africa’s most urgent healthcare problems, aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals.
It provides expert engineering and innovation services to address infrastructural shortfalls in South African public hospitals. Projects include Heal Baragwanath, which aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of the J. D. Allen operating theatre complex at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
Dr Gareth Sessel, director at Outreach Engineering, says: “We are excited to join forces with Wits Healthcare Innovation. Our combined technical, medical, engineering and scientific skills will enable us to create scalable, patient-centred and technology-driven solutions to our country’s healthcare challenges.”
“Innovation and education efforts, including webinars, seminars and championing new diplomas/degrees in medical innovation will be among our priorities. We will also be mobilising resources for community aid and pioneering research and development (R&D) efforts in areas such as healthcare AI solutions, mental health applications and clinical trials. We are grateful to our corporate partners for working with us to promote and facilitate high-quality public healthcare services for people in South Africa. We couldn’t have done it without their generous and invaluable support.” Outreach Engineering is a long-time partner of the University of the Witwatersrand and is backed by contributors such as Werksmans Attorneys, BDO, and Idea Engineers.
Dr Sessel is pictured here with children from Johannesburg Children’s Home (JCH), which provides a refuge for children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Outreach Engineering recently donated and constructed an outdoor gym at the JCH premises, to allow the children and staff to remain active during these challenging times.
