Sustainability is an integral part of how we do business - our emphasis on the environment through our environmental management systems, and supporting the communities we serve through our CSI (corporate social investment) initiatives, contributes to our corporate citizenship. To us, being a corporate citizen is not just a social responsibility. It is a driving force.
Environmental policy
We believe that sound environmental management adds to our competitive strengths and indirectly benefits our patients and our stakeholders. Environmental sustainability is actioned through the Group’s environment and climate change forum: responsible for business sustainability, climate change initiatives and managing our impact on the environment. We are all working together for a better, more sustainable world. In order to do that to the best of our abilities, we have drawn up our environmental sustainability commitments.
Download our environmental policy
Our environmental commitments:
- Identify and comply with applicable legislation and regulations.
- Identify and manage the risks relating to the use of natural resources and reducing waste products in our business.
- Identify and manage the impact of emissions and their effect on climate change.
- Develop or apply solutions to environmental risks in accordance with international requirements and standards.
- Apply improved technologies as these become available.
- Educate employees on good environmental practices.
- Continually assess all our business activities against objectives and targets to minimise any negative impact on the environment.
- Ensure responsible reporting to our stakeholders on our environmental performance.
- Ensure all support functions continuously improve, through responsible sustainable management practices and reducing pollution.
Improving the lives of others is what we do at Life Healthcare – and we have taken it one step further by demonstrating the importance of corporate social investment.
We have three main areas of focus where our CSI activities make a tangible difference in South Africa: education, community upliftment and health. Our programmes are both local and national, with community involvement at a local level and strategically relevant programmes at a national level.
Corporate Social Investment
Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is an integral part of Life Healthcare’s ethos to be closely involved with the communities we serve. As an organisation we are committed to social upliftment and community development, as our CSI initiatives reflect our group’s purpose of making life better.
As a leading player in the healthcare industry, Life Healthcare is well positioned to contribute to the improvement of health outcomes in South Africa and to provide health, education, and training to encourage and empower communities to take responsibility for their own health both individually and collectively.
KEY FOCUS AREAS
Programmes are driven at a local level within communities in which we serve, and strategically relevant programmes are managed at a national level.
The three focus areas are: health, training and education; and community
Training and education
- Secondary School - maths and science tuition
- Medical research
- Nurse bursaries
- Training and education for students with visual impairment
Read more about our education initiatives
Community
- Access to clean running water
- Development of rural communities
- Food gardening – in schools and communities
- Food relief to needy communities
Read more about our community upliftment initiatives
Health
- Surgery for state indigent patients
- Health screenings and testing