President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country’s health system is at a tipping point and something should be done urgently to save it from collapse.
This in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of Health at Tuynhuis to launch the Presidential Health Summit Report.
Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says, “Having identified critical challenges the summit called on government to urgently prioritise the filling of critical vacancies. The summit tasked the national treasury to develop a sustainable financing model and to prioritise the financial resources allocation to ensure the delivery of public health care is not compromised.”
The health minister says there is a realisation among many countries that quality health care is crucial for economic growth.
It’s estimated that South Africa spends about 8% of its
Gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare.
“If healthcare is not taken care of, especially in the financing therefor, many economies may be down on their knees,” says Motsoaledi.
Doctors say they are ready to help to revive the country’s health system.
Dr Angelique Coetzee from SA Medical Association Chairperson says, “”We from the medical profession had to get on the train and take this journey because otherwise if we stay on the station we will never be able to influence anything going forward.”
The long awaited National Health Insurance Scheme is widely seen as the antidote to the ailing public health system.
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