Summary: EASE installed a Da Vinci surgical robot at Busamed Gateway Private Hospital in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, marking the region’s first pay-per-use medical technology installation. This model, which eliminates upfront payment, allows immediate access to advanced technology, enhancing patient care and freeing up capital for other critical areas.

Key Takeaways:

  • First Installation in Kwazulu Natal: EASE installed a Da Vinci surgical robot, the first in the region and under a pay-per-use model in South Africa.
  • Pay-Per-Use Model: This model helps healthcare facilities access advanced medical technology without upfront costs, allowing them to allocate resources to other critical patient care areas.
  • Expansion Plans: EASE plans to expand to ten more African countries within five years, bringing cutting-edge medical innovations to 3 million patients.

Equipment-as-a-Service (EASE) announced that a Da Vinci surgical robot was installed at Busamed Gateway Private Hospital in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

Benefits of the Surgical Robot

The 40 million rand (US$2.2 million) robot is designed to help surgeons perform complex minimally invasive procedures with reduced pain, blood loss, and recovery time. The robot is a first for the Kwazulu Natal region and marks a first for South Africa in terms of medical technology installed without any upfront payment through the pay-per-use model introduced by EASE.

A growing global shift towards renting equipment has driven US healthcare providers to lease 35% and Europeans 30% of their medical technology, enabling patients to benefit immediately from the latest innovations while also anticipating and responding to changing economic and operational conditions. In Africa, where improved access to medical technology is a key priority, our pay-per-use model offers health facilities the chance to leapfrog technology while freeing up capital for other critical areas of patient care.

EASE’s Expansion in Africa

After introducing pay-per-use medical equipment in West Africa, EASE opened its doors in South Africa last year. The surgical robot at Busamed Gateway Private Hospital is the company’s first installation in the country, with further installations planned in the coming months. EASE also intends to expand to a further ten African countries within five years, bringing the latest medical innovations to 3 million patients.

“We’re pleased to enter into this partnership with EASE which will support us in offering world-class care, while freeing up capital that would otherwise have gone towards the costly acquisition of this machine, and instead focus it on further improving our service and the level of care that our patients receive,” said Sunny Govender, chief financial officer at Busamed Hospital Group. “In simple terms, the pay-per-use model allows us to only pay when actually using the machine, thereby freeing up resources that can be spent on more beds, more nurses and better care overall.”

Clinical Applications of the Robot

Busamed’s new robot will be used primarily by urologists and gynecologists for routine minimally invasive surgeries, resulting in a shorter length of stay in the hospital, less wound access trauma, and a reduction in post-operative wound complications for patients.

“We partner with hospitals and radiology practices that have a strong vision, commitment, and operational plan to deliver the best care to their patients,” said Dr. Kanyinsola Oyeyinka, VP of Healthcare at EASE. “Our model reduces the upfront costs of technology acquisition for healthcare facilities by co-developing sustainable pricing models that meet business needs.”