Gene therapy in tissue engineering

Summary form only given. The Department of Health in South Africa has adopted a Framework for Health Technology Policies. In an effort implement the framework policy, the Department is in the process of commissioning a Health Technology (HT) Scoping Study that will map the implementation of a Health Technology System in the country. Already, a pilot Health Technology Audit was completed in a representative sample of 10% of health institutions in two of the provinces. There´s a process in place to roll-out the audit to other health institutions in the other provinces. The audit will ensure that each hospital has a computerised maintenance management system that includes an inventory database. In addition to the HT Audit, the Department will implement the Essential Health Technology Package (EHTP) which is currently being developed by the Medical Research Council and the World Health Organisation. Other significant processes include the development of a regulatory framework for health technologies, the training of technical staff for deployment in Clinical Engineering workshops across the country, and the development of a Health Technology Management Policy. Over and above all this, a sub-unit that will deal with the development of policies and systems on Highly Specialised Services, including organ transplantation, has been established.