Dr. Tyson Welzel, the Group Chief Innovation Officer at Mediclinic, and speaker at HBI 2024 in the session The race to net zero: decarbonising your operations, discussed the company’s commitment to carbon neutrality and innovation in healthcare. Mediclinic, a multinational healthcare provider, operates in Southern Africa, the Middle East, and Switzerland, with a significant share in the UK’s Spire Healthcare Group. Founded 40 years ago in South Africa, Mediclinic has evolved from an acute inpatient care provider to an integrated healthcare services provider, adapting to changing healthcare landscapes and technological advancements.

To drive innovation, Mediclinic established an Innovation Hub focused on supporting both incremental and radical changes in care provision. A critical part of their innovation strategy is achieving carbon neutrality and zero waste to landfill. This includes a multi-year budget and plan to ensure these goals are met. Mediclinic is implementing solar power in Southern Africa due to unreliable national electricity, reducing anaesthetic gas use in Switzerland, and saving water and energy through advanced systems in South Africa.

Welzel emphasised that achieving carbon neutrality requires collaboration with medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Some manufacturers have started initiatives like reclaiming precious metals and plastics from single-use devices. Welzel looks forward to discussing these and other challenges with experts at the upcoming HBI 2024 conference.

To read the full interview, visit Healthcare Business International’s website and dive deeper into Dr. Tyson Welzel’s insights on innovation and sustainability at Mediclinic.