Air Liquide Healthcare expands market in Southern Africa

In addition, Air Liquide Botswana had its contract to supply 10 hospitals in Botswana with medicinal gases renewed, with a further 4 hospitals included on the list. Both contracts began in February 2009.

Meshack Lekeru, Air Liquide Healthcare Managing Director, says the company identified a gap in the market. “We realised that the Healthcare market in South Africa was expanding in-line with government’s efforts to make healthcare services more accessible to the public. It made sense for us to extend our offer to the public sector and to actively support that process.”

Laurie Raison, Air Liquide Botswana Managing Director supports: “We distinguish ourselves from the competition by the quality of service that we give to our clients. Our focus is squarely on the patient. The lives of the patients are directly dependant on the quality of the medicinal gases.”

Meshack believes that Air Liquide’s high quality record and its cost-effective offer, coupled with its highest BEE rating, gave it the edge during the tender process

“I also believe that our BEE rating played a part in the treasury’s decision,” says Meshack. Air Liquide Healthcare last year announced that it had received the highest rating, AAA+ by the respected independent agency, Empowerdex for its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) representation.

From Private to Public Sector

“We have between 40 and 50% market share in the private sector and have been steadily growing over the past 10 years. On top of our clear patient focus, our service delivery includes training for hospital personnel and 24 hour emergency response service. We have also learnt to continuously optimize the supply chain and gas solutions provided to our clients. Taking our expertise to the public sector arena at a time when government is investing in this area was a natural progression for us,” says Meshack

The tender will see Air Liquide servicing government hospitals and state-owned medical facilities in Mpumalanga Province, North West Province, Free State Province and Limpopo Province.

Meshack adds that Air Liquide is focused on innovation for the patient, in the hospital and the home, at the best worldwide standards of quality, care and environmental protection. “Our strategy is to offer the patient shorter and safer hospital stays, to reduce patient pain and to minimize recovery from long and high risk surgeries thanks to a full range of hospital services, therapeutic and anesthetic medical gases that will be introduced soon in Southern Africa market.”