OUR OATH
WE HAVE PLEDGED OUR SUPPORT
ABOUT THE DISCOVERY FOUNDATION
our commitment
Set up in 2006 as one element of Discovery Limited’s Black Economic Empowerment transaction, the Discovery Foundation, an independent trust, aimed to invest R150 million in grants that were geared towards the education and training of 300 healthcare specialists over a period of 10 years. South Africa is experiencing a critical shortage of healthcare resources. The grants disbursed through the Discovery Foundation Awards aim to address this challenge through training specialists for rural areas, developing academic medicine and research centres and increasing the number of Subspecialists in the country to adequately meet the country’s healthcare needs.
Over the past 10 years, the Discovery Foundation surpassed expectations and invested over R189 million in grants to support academic medicine through research, development and the training of medical specialists in South Africa. Its aim is to invest R300 million towards specialised healthcare services over 20 years. These grants include scholarships, bursaries, research fellowships and support for teaching and research institutions. The Discovery Foundation Awards honour and reward excellence in our country’s healthcare sector.
South Africa has a great medical legacy of research, invention, and technological innovation – we were the first country to show the world how to do heart transplants and we invented the CATscan, which is used worldwide. South Africa is home to talented medical experts, outstanding academic institutions and excellent private healthcare services. Even so, the majority of South Africans are unable to afford anything more than the most basic healthcare services, and the facilities they depend on are often overburdened, understaffed and underfunded. The Discovery Foundation is committed to making a contribution to the future health and wellbeing of all South Africans to ensure affordable, quality healthcare is accessible to all.
Through the considered interventions of the Discovery Foundation in the healthcare industry, we believe we can bring quality healthcare infrastructure and services within reach of many communities who have previously not had access, while keeping the high standards of our country’s private healthcare system and safeguarding our legacy.
TO COMMUNITIES AND DOCTORS
Supporting doctors and facilities in rural communities means better healthcare, a constant supply of aspiring students and better.
SUPPORT
TO research
An investment in research is an investment in the future, as we strive to finance research that leads to much-needed treatment and preventative medicines.
RESEARCH
TO RECOGNITION
The healthcare profession is often lonely and thankless. We are committed to ensuring that those in every element of the field receive the acknowledgment their efforts deserve.
GRANTS + FUNDING
you SWORE an oath. HERE’S OUR OATH TO YOU.
This is our promise to you, that we will uphold to the best of our ability and judgement:
We are committed to helping you overcome the challenges you face. We will never turn you away if you ask for help. We want to work with you, the next generation of leaders, to help you gain the knowledge you need to enter this selfless profession with confidence.
We will provide you with the funding, education and research you need to care for the sick, and remind you of your worth when you feel overwhelmed because compassion heals hopeless moments.
We understand that you are treating people, not sicknesses. We will give you the strength to care for your patients and their families beyond procedures - to ensure their wellbeing. We will continue to support promising medical research because we are fully invested in discovering new ways to prevent and cure illness.
We have pledged R160 million to finding, funding and recognising your talent and the achievements of everyone committed to caring for others.
We value and recognise your humanity and sacrifice – they do not go unnoticed. By supporting you, it is our belief that you and your patients can live happier, healthier lives.
Discovery Foundation’s Investment
OUR INVESTMENT
Over the past 10 years, the Discovery Foundation has invested over R189 million in grants to support academic medicine through research, development and the training of medical specialists in South Africa.
Its aim is to invest R300 million towards specialised healthcare services over 20 years. These grants include scholarships, bursaries, research fellowships and support for teaching and research institutions. The Discovery Foundation Awards honour and reward excellence in our country’s healthcare sector.