To commemorate Mandela Day 2023, The Urology Hospital (TUH), Pretoria, partnered with African Synergy Health (ASH) for the Inaugural ASH Mandela Week Surgical Marathon. During this week, radical prostatectomies (removal of prostate glands with cancer) are conducted pro-bono for those in need using the new technology of robotic surgery.

African Synergy Health's vision is to achieve zero patients on elective surgical waiting list in public sector hospitals by synergising the public and private resources. Africa Synergy Health aims to achieve this in five years initially in Urology and General surgery and then expanding to other disciplines. The Inaugural ASH Mandela Week Surgical Marathon commenced Monday 17 July 2023, works towards achieving this vision by performing 67 procedures in line with the 67 years Nelson Mandela spent advocating for justice, equality, and human rights for all. African Synergy Health and TUH lead the way in creating a healthcare system where resources are shared, and African health challenges are addressed.

“Waiting lists and backlogs for surgical procedures are a problem in South Africa and Africa in general, addressing them will require both public and private resources”, says Dr Viola Morolo, Director at African Synergy Health. 

As a centre of excellence known for its advanced technology, The Urology Hospital is the only specialised urology hospital in South Africa and one of a kind in Africa. The hospital with a team of six highly skilled Robotic Doctors are performing robotic prostatectomies using the recently acquired da Vinci robot.

Given that prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, with an estimated 1.4 million diagnoses worldwide, The Urology Hospital’s contribution is particularly significant.

“It is an honour to be taking part and making a difference in the lives of those in need”, says Malcolm Anthony, CEO of Urology Hospital.