Sha’p Left steps up expansion of nurse-led clinics to close South Africa’s primary healthcare gap

While the debate continues around the affordability of the National Health Insurance legislation introduced by the government, an initiative of the Cipla Foundation is helping to address critical shortages in primary healthcare. Sha’p Left nurse surgeries places affordable, nurse - led clinics directly inside community hubs, often at taxi ranks. With a new partnership with the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation, the model is now set to expand. In this interview, Cipla Foundation CEO Paul Miller explains how the organisation plans to scale the clinics across the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZuluNatal, while enabling nurses to become entrepreneurs. He also discusses the Foundation’s work across Africa with Operation Smile, helping to restore smiles to children born with cleft lips and palates. – Linda van Tilburg