FACTS AND FIGURES
The Klinik Hirslanden is a modern private hospital in Zurich and belongs to the Hirslanden Private Hospital Group. The group contains 18 hospitals, 4 outpatient clinics, 17 radiology institutes, 5 radiotherapy institutes and is a leading private healthcare provider in Switzerland.

TOUR THROUGH THE KLINIK HIRSLANDEN
Warmly welcomed by the hospital management we had the chance to get to know the infrastructure and offers of the hospital during an exclusive tour. The hospital has 14 operating rooms, 3 delivery rooms, 333 beds and 479 affiliated doctors and employed doctors. The well-equipped rooms (maximum occupancy 2), the really nice entrance and "Cafeteria" area, the comfortable restaurant and the art collection completes the whole infrastructure of the Klinik Hirslanden. The Klinik Hirslanden’s areas of expertise are in particular Heart surgery, Orthopaedics, Gynaecology, Cardiology and Urology furthermore the hospital is highly specialised in Stroke treatments, Neurosurgery and Visceral surgery.

PRESENTATION
After this informative tour through the hospital the CEO of the Hirslanden Private Hospital Group, Dr Ole Wiesinger spoke about his impression of changes and innovation in the healthcare sector during his medical career. When he started his career, patients had to endure much larger and more intensive operations. But even back then, minimally invasive surgery was already in the mouth of medicine, eventhough it was met with incomprehension. Today it is essential to have such technologies and possibilities. Nowadays they talk about biotechnology, psychosocial health, as well as of mobile medicine, personalised medicine and technological medicine. Some of these innovative changes in the healthcare sector increased the life expectancies at birth both in Switzerland (83.2 years) and in South Africa (57.44 years). Dr Ole Wiesinger’s point of view for the future of healthcare is open, some things are scary and others are fascinating.

Afterwards and with plenty of information about healthcare, we were spoiled by the Hirslanden restaurant crew with a delicious flying dinner, which was highly appreciated.

Food and beverages were kindly sponsored by

On September 27, 2018, Ms Peers presented Investec Bank (Switzerland) AG's "Autumn Update on Cyclical Challenges and Secular Opportunities" at the Zunfthaus zur Waag in Zurich. Ms Peers expressed her professional views on global equity and bond markets and presented the work, which her new conservation foundation does in conjunction with Investec's RhinoLifeline charity in South Africa.

Ms Peers analyzed the fundamental backdrop of the current global economic state, the cyclical challenges faced by the world economy currently, Investec's outlook on position on secular and investment themes and the phenomenon of the grey rhino in the world economy amidst growth and inflation threats.

Ms Peers then introduced the Swiss Wildlife of Africa Foundation (SWAF), a Swiss non-profit organization based in Lausanne launched by her on May 31, 2018. Ms Peers introduced her mission with a few sobering facts: the Black Rhino is classified as critically endangered with the world having lost 25% of its rhino population in less than 10 years and more than 1,000 rhino being poached every year. Elephants are classified as vulnerable with Africa's overall elephant population having seen the worst declines in 25 years - down by 111'000 in 10 years. Due to tiger bone trade, lion, which are hunted to sell as fake tiger bone, are now classified as vulnerable. Lion populations have plummeted by 43% in the past 20 years, to an estimated 20'000. At the same time, the war against poaching is costing a deadly human toll. Against this grim backdrop, Ms Peers explained that the aim of SWAF was to protect the environment by protecting endangered species, in particular rhino, elephant and lion whose existence is threatened by poaching. The foundation further aims to raise funds to support the rescue, rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild of orphan rhinos, elephant and lion and to raise awareness in Switzerland on the issue of wildlife protection and poaching.

Ms Peers explained that SWAF is currently collaborating with two beneficiaries as initial recipients of donations, these being the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center (HESC), which runs a rhino orphanage and is also involved in education, treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals, anti-poaching initiatives, breeding of endangered species and tourism. The second beneficiary organisation is Care for Wild, run by a passionate conservationist, Petronel Nieuwoudt, whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release the rhino in their care.

We look forward to hearing more on these important ventures.

Food and beverages were kindly sponsored by