New hospital here to help all

A rich heritage of inclusive health care is the inspiration behind the building of the new 164-bed Ahmed Al-kadi Private Hospital in Durban, writes

WHENEVER people ask pharmacist and prominent KZN businessman Solly Suleman why he got involved in building a hospital, his answer is simple and straight to the point.

“Because it was the right thing to do,” said the president of the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (Imasa).

“Private hospitals in Durban’s CBD simply can no longer cope with the number of patients who need treatment.

“Imasa’s vision was to fill that gap with a hospital that serves all patients, irrespective of race or religion, and would be both iconic and unique.”

It is an answer that encapsulates not only the rich history and ethos of Islamic health care dating back to the eighth century, but also reflects the work and beliefs of a prominent cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, Dr Ahmed Al-kadi, after whom the new hospital is named.

A visit to the hospital, with its delicate geometric mosaic lattice work façade, on the corner of the M13 and Waterfall Road at the top end of Mayville, will tell you that the vision that emerged from a series of meetings with like-minded pioneers eight years ago is but a heartbeat away from becoming a reality.

The wards are without patients but the bustle of activity, gleaming new ultra-modern equipment, the powerful presence of nature, peace and coming hospitality, let you know that the big day is very close.

In fact, says Suleman, who has acted as the overall director of the hospital process, the first patients will be received within weeks.

Inside the airy reception area with its beautiful art work of nature and the environment reflected on the walls, Suleman directs me to the new boardroom, where key decisions, planning and “robust discussions” have taken place over the three years that the building has taken shape.

“In many ways this has been a massive balancing act,” Suleman said. “Affordable medicine is our overarching goal; so, too, is the provision of critical life-saving services to those who cannot afford medical care.”

That’s why, he said, the model on which he and his co-directors decided was the first of its kind in South Africa.

“What we realised was that the R500million needed to build and operate the hospital would require some innovative and imaginative thinking. Experience from others had taught us charity hospitals, however worthy, cannot sustain themselves, with many having been forced to close.

So it was decided that, to cater for poorer communities, which is a prime objective, the association’s Baytul Nur Trust would hold 26% of the shares, and private investors the rest.

This way, he said, the hospital could be run on a private feepaying basis equivalent to other private healthcare facilities, while the needs of the poor could be addressed adequately.

“It is one of those sad realities that chronic kidney patients requiring long-term dialysis are often sent home to die because of a lack of resources and funding.

“With our model being sustainable in the long term, we are able to set up renal facilities for those who cannot afford to pay for their treatment.

“With the funds raised, we can also provide professionally staffed clinics for families, focusing on things such as diabetes, nutrition and child care. We hope this model will be adopted elsewhere. There are so many who need urgent treatment and cannot afford it. We have had great support from the government and provincial health leaders, which has really helped us to get off the ground.”

Suleman himself is well versed in the business of affordable medicine, having developed the Sparkport pharmacy chain with his business partner from its infancy with the prime aim to cut profit margins on medicine, discounting where possible.”

In many ways, one could say Suleman and his operational and financing team were echoing the values and ethos of the hospital’s namesake.

Dr Ahmed Al-kadi (19402009) was a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon who dedicated his life to serving others.

He founded a number of Islamic institutions in the US focusing on the needs of the underprivileged. These included the Islamic Medical Association, the Islamic Circle of North America and the Institute of Islamic Medicine for Education and Research.

Al-kadi travelled to South Africa several times, helping to establish Imasa in 1979. Passionate about Islamic medicine, he had always dreamed of having an Islamic hospital.

It is this dream nurtured so long ago that is now taking form as a key provider of essential health care in the province – and a beacon of hope for those who never dared to believe that such things were possible.