Zebra medical newsletter November 2025
Dear esteemed Healthcare Professional,
A couple of weeks ago our team spent the day at the Rotary Family Health Day in Elukwatini, Mpumalanga. This event was a collaboration between Rotary and the Department of Health to expand access to essential services, led by the partnership between Rotary action group for family health and AIDS prevention (RVHA) and Rotary D9400.
Zebra Medical, in partnership with Unjani Clinics, provided ultrasound scanning for pregnant women using the Butterfly iQ+ device. For many, it was the first scan of their lives, an experience that was both transformative and deeply revealing.
In just two days, dozens of women accessed diagnostic care that would otherwise have required traveling long distances or paying costs beyond their reach. Some were seeing their baby, hearing a heartbeat, or receiving reassurance for the very first time.
These are not isolated stories. Across South Africa, barriers like geography, cost, and awareness continue to limit access to primary healthcare – particularly maternal care. But technology like Butterfly iQ+ is changing that equation.
Portable, connected ultrasound enables midwives and primary care teams to bring real-time imaging directly to the point of care, empowering clinicians, improving outcomes, and offering dignity through access.
At Zebra Medical, we believe ultrasound is not a privilege – it’s a right. Every woman deserves the same standard of care, no matter where she lives.
When it comes to primary healthcare, Butterfly iQ+ proves that geography should not be your destiny.
Warm regards,
For this deal and other specials visit the VULA Hub – Find products, services, and special deals for health workers, carefully curated by the Vula team.
The Butterfly iQ+ is more essential to me than my stethoscope!
I have been using the Butterfly iQ+ for more than three years, and it has truly revolutionised how I practise medicine in the public health system. Working in a district hospital in the state sector means that access to formal imaging is limited by time, distance, and resources. Having the Butterfly iQ+ in my pocket means that I can bring diagnostic imaging and directed procedures directly to the bedside, wherever I am needed.
One recent case that stands out was a middle-aged patient who presented to our emergency centre with acute shortness of breath. Clinically, it wasn’t clear whether this was an exacerbation of COPD or new-onset heart failure, two conditions with very different management paths.
Within minutes, a focused lung and cardiac scan with the Butterfly iQ+ confirmed diffuse B-lines and poor left ventricular function, clinching the diagnosis and guiding urgent management.
In another instance, a young woman came to our OPD with persistent pain and swelling after an Implanon insertion at another facility. With the Butterfly, I was able to locate the deeply sited device quickly, plan a safe removal, and spare her the frustration and risk of surgical exploration.
These are just two of countless moments where the Butterfly iQ+ has changed patient outcomes – not by adding complexity, but by bringing clarity and confidence to frontline decision-making.
It has become more essential to me than my stethoscope (which, apart from listening for wheeze, is now mostly retired!).
Dr James Porter
Family Physician, False Bay Hospital