Social Responsibility
The Joint Care Trust is a registered not-for-profit trust which gives pro-bono hip and knee replacements to those who cannot afford private care and have endured long waits on public health waiting lists for surgery they desperately need.
I have always enjoyed being involved in education and research related to hip and knee surgery. From my previous work as a consultant in the government hospitals and knowing the back log of replacement surgery operations in the state hospitals, Dr Nick Martin and I decided to do replacement surgery in state hospitals to alleviate the long waiting lists.
There was a problem with a shortage of implants to deal with the waiting lists for the state doctors and this was a rate limiting issue. We contacted implant companies to donate implants to the state and for us to do the surgery at no cost at state hospitals. This necessitated the establishment of a Non-Profit organisation, Joint Care Trust (JCT), to ensure that there is full accountability for the implants donated and BEE compliance for the companies to be able to get CSI points for the donations and section 18A tax relief.
This has enabled us to do more than 250 replacements at no cost to the patient or the state sine the JCT was established in 2012.
Training of state theatre staff was undertaken by the JCT and has enabled Mitchells Plein hospital to do joint replacement surgery. This has empowered the hospital to continue without direct involvement and establish a replacement facility in a peripheral hospital.
How it works
Patients are selected by an independent clinical scoring system according to medical urgency and societal benefits, such as a young provider.
Patients get free:
Joint replacement surgery thanks to surgeons who give of their time
Theatre facilities and accommodation at state hospitals
Orthopaedic implants donated by implant businesses and the Trust
Anaesthetic and anaesthetist services
Donors get:
To help change a life
BEE recognition
Fully tax–deductible donation according to Section 18A of the Tax Act
The potential to market your involvement
“Without the Joint Care Trust I would be a cripple. I hope they can help more people like me – give other people hope.
I was boarded 20 years ago from my job as a deli supervisor – I think the cold from the fridges contributed to my rheumatoid arthritis. I can’t describe the pain that took over me. One day I woke up and couldn’t walk. Since my hip replacements I can keep up with my grandchildren. I am so grateful I can move again.’
- Ellen Roman (Double hip replacement after a five-year wait on a state list)
How you can make a difference
Make a donation. 100% of funding goes to joint replacements.
Donate arthroplasty implants
Offer theatre space
Accept offers of surgery and training in parastatals
Replicating the Joint Care Trust model in your own practice