SAFHE is a non-profit
organisation initiated in 1974 in the Western Cape, and officially constituted as
a national body in 1975, to encourage
professionals, technologists, and technicians to co-operate in the dissemination
and development of information regarding the design, engineering, maintenance, and management of healthcare facilities.
In 1976, SAFHE was accorded
“A” membership of the International Federation of Hospital Engineering, founded
in 1970, which has thirty member associations representing some 10,000 persons involved
in the broad field of healthcare engineering.
To promote and develop in the
healthcare field:
1. All aspects of design, engineering, and technology,
including construction, commissioning,
and maintenance of buildings, plant, equipment, machinery
and apparatus.
2. The principle of integrated design by improved collaboration
amongst all professions.
3. The more efficient management of planning, operation,
maintenance and safety.
4. The advancement of education of personnel.
5. The encouragement throughout the world of the unrestricted
acquisition, exchanges, and spread of information, and research.
6. The arranging of conferences, seminars and discussions
to provide a medium of communication for interested persons on a professional and
industrial basis.
7. The evaluation of professional standards and etiquette,
and establishment of good relationships between members and other bodies interested
in or having objectives similar to those of SAFHE.
8. The encouragement, investigation and publicising
of innovations which may be of benefit to members, and assist in the furtherance
of the objectives of SAFHE.
The regional branches of SAFHE,
with a membership totalling
about 260, have programmes geared to
local interests.
Talks, seminars, discussions and workshops, on a variety of
subjects take place regularly. SAFHE national conferences covering particular themes
have been held at two yearly intervals since 1977, and have attracted delegates from Sub-Saharan Africa and abroad.
The most recent of these popular events was held at Sun City in 2005, which
were attended by more than 300 delegates, including representatives of all the provincial
departments of health within South Africa.
Members of SAFHE have presented papers at congresses of
the International Federation of Hospital Engineering at many venues abroad. Since its admission as an “A” member, SAFHE has participated
in all IFHE Council meetings, and from 1990 has had a member
on its Executive Committee. SAFHE
hosted the 19th IFHE congresses in Cape Town, in May 2006 – a highly successful event
attended by delegates from over 30 countries.
The theme of the congress was “Healthcare engineering in developing countries”
which elicited many papers of a high standard.
As a
consequence of its conference and congress activities,
SAFHE is
able to provide assistance to appropriate individuals to further their experience
and training in the field of healthcare engineering.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of SAFHE is open to architects, engineers, medical and nursing personnel,
technologists, technicians and any other persons who are engaged in the broad field
of healthcare facility planning, construction, equipping, commissioning, maintenance
and management. Applications for membership
are invited from parties who qualify in terms of the stated criteria.
Click here for the application form.
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