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White paper on NHI expected imminently

23 April 2012 Graham Anderson, principal officer at Profmed
Graham Anderson, principal officer at Profmed

Graham Anderson, principal officer at Profmed

Government’s White Paper on the National Health Insurance initiative is expected to be published imminently, providing more detail on exactly how the project will be implemented; yet the reality is that the scale of the project is so vast it will be impos

This is according to Graham Anderson, principal officer at Profmed, the medical scheme that caters exclusively for graduate professionals, who says issues such as the severe shortage of medical practitioners raised by the South African Medical Association is just one area that needs to be addressed. “Currently we don’t have the human capital – doctors, nurses or medical specialists – to meet the public sector’s needs and this is not something that can be addressed in the next 14 years.”

“One of the key contributors to ensuring that NHI or any form of healthcare system in South Africa is workable, is a renewed focus on the importance of training. Up until recently, South Africa trained some of the best doctors and nurses in the world and we should be aiming to get back to this level of expertise.”

“NHI is such a complex proposal that what is most likely to happen is that the current public healthcare system will simply be improved over the next 10 to 15 years, providing better healthcare to the lower income population. “It is unlikely that we will be able to afford a universal healthcare system within the planned 14-year timeframe as the proposal currently stands; but some form of social health system is desperately required.”

“The current condition of state hospitals is diabolical, with equipment and facilities such as scanners, lifts and boilers having broken down. As a result, the quality of healthcare being provided has been significantly compromised and we are even seeing some low income earners who cannot afford private healthcare, starting to pay to see private doctors as they refuse to go to a state hospital.”

“Whether South Africa should be implementing a universal healthcare system is debatable, as this will be extremely difficult to implement. However, as this has already been decided as the right option, we need to collaborate to make it work as best as we can. It is critical to have a functional social healthcare system and if state hospitals can at least be taken out of disrepair then this provides a good starting point.”

Anderson also says that while there are concerns over the future of private medical schemes in light of NHI, it is essential for the success of the public healthcare system for both public and private to co-exist. “We do have a very good and well-run private healthcare system in South Africa and while many people may disagree, it is also reasonably affordable. In a submission to the government, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has also offered to provide resources from the private sector to assist in the introduction of NHI and it is this kind of collaboration that will be essential to its eventual success.”

“There is no simple solution to fixing the healthcare system; it is a combination of social and political answers. However, it is crucial to have all stakeholders buy into the process and work together to achieve a common goal.”

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