Operation Healing Hands (OHH)

Established in 2016, the aim of Operation Healing Hands ( OHH ) is to provide life-changing surgeries to patients in need while fulfilling the ethical responsibility of the private healthcare sector in closing the socioeconomic gap of patients in need of surgery. Operation Healing Hands is a non-profit organization registered by doctors in the South African private sector. It was launched as a Mandela Day initiative in 2016. Mandela Day initiatives such as OHH strive to honour the legacy of Mr Nelson Mandela by doing good and changing the lives of those in need. Since its launch two years ago, OHH has treated over 280 underprivileged patients in various surgical disciplines. OHH recruits hospitals, surgeons, anaesthetists and paramedici to provide free surgery and post-operative care, and also takes care of all the other arrangements and payments of extra expenses. Not only are OHH patients able to return to work and contribute to the economy again, due to an improvement in their quality of life, but the demand on South African state hospitals are also alleviated through the work done by OHH in the private sector. Operation Healing Hands aims to address the medical services problem in South Africa by providing a platform for medical professionals in the private sector to help relieve the burden on state hospitals and improve the quality of life for as many patients as possible. All the medical personnel involved, from the surgeons to the rehab teams, work pro bono while the private hospitals sponsor most of the theatre time and in-hospital stay. X-rays, blood work-up and other special investigations by respective service providers are also done for free while the prostheses such as hip and knee-replacements and other implants are sponsored by relevant medical companies. Therefore the funds raised by OHH through grants and donations are used to cover consumables used, random medical expenses as well as the daily running of the project.