Johannesburg - On Wednesday the US giant General Electric Healthcare announced that it would be expanding its operations in South Africa through, inter alia, a partnership with government to establish infrastructure, supplying technology and train people in healthcare.

Neil Boyce, who was appointed general manager for GE Healthcare's operations in South Africa, says he has a clear strategy for what he wants to do.

The company has already held discussions with the Gauteng government and will be speaking to the Western Cape government next week.

Richard di Benedetto, president and chief executive of GE Healthcare's operations in the East and African regions, says $6bn will be invested in these regions over the next five years.

Di Benedetto reckons that consumers' greatest need is improved access to better-quality and cheaper healthcare.

This is what he will concentrate on over the next five years.

By 2015, he believes, his company will improve the availability and quality of healthcare services by 15% and also reduce the costs by 15%.

He expects GE Healthcare to play a particularly important role in providing primary health services through mobile hospital units.

The training of health-service suppliers is high on the agenda. This year he will already start schooling 500 people in partnership with training institutions. He says he will also offer specific training courses for the likes of hospital managers and technicians.

GE Healthcare is already negotiating with a tertiary institution in this regard, but talks are still inconclusive.

For the past 20 years the company has been active in Africa, being well established in Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya.

- Sake24.com

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