News Desk | NHI
Private sector calls for collaboration on NHI as Health Minister slams lawsuits as baseless
Time to read: 01:08
Time to listen: 02:47 minutes
Type of article: News
MedED Catalogue Reference: MNHI0017
Category: News
Category Cross-reference: NHI | Health Policy
Keywords: NHI, Minister of Health, Life Healthcare, Rise Mzanzi
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3 December 2024,17:30
Life Healthcare has joined Netcare in calling for greater collaboration between the public and private healthcare sectors to address South Africa’s deteriorating healthcare system.
Both private hospital groups argue that health should be prioritized alongside other sectors to boost investor confidence and resolve urgent healthcare challenges, such as long wait times in public hospitals for cancer treatment and elective procedures.
According to our source article in BusinessLive, Life Healthcare CEO Peter Wharton-Hood emphasized the under-utilization of private sector hospitals, proposing that these facilities could provide much-needed capacity to the state on commercially viable terms. He also suggested that the private sector could play a larger role in training healthcare professionals.
Despite these calls, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi remains steadfast in his support for the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, dismissing a legal challenge to its constitutionality by Solidarity as “devoid of merit” and “discriminatory.” Motsoaledi stressed that the NHI aims to address healthcare inequities, particularly the disparity between private and public healthcare access. He explained that the phased implementation of the NHI would ensure continued coverage for medical scheme members for up to 15 years.
However, critics like Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi express concern about the NHI’s feasibility. Speaking to News24, he warned that South Africa’s struggling public healthcare system is ill-equipped to absorb the scheme’s financial and operational demands.
Zibi outlined key issues that need to be addressed to build a quality healthcare system, including underfunding, corruption, loss of skills, and management failures in public health facilities. He stressed the need for well-equipped, properly managed facilities with sufficient staff to provide quality care.
These tensions reflect a broader debate over the best approach to achieving universal health coverage and the role of the private sector in South Africa’s healthcare transformation.
This article was compiled from various sources, including:
28 November 2024 | News24 | 'Grow up': Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi calls for maturity in GNU
28 November 2024 | BusinessLive | EDITORIAL: Government should welcome private healthcare’s offer to help
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