South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has assured that his administration’s goal is to create a healthcare system in the country which will be the world’s envy; accessible, efficient, and effective in meeting the needs of all citizens.
Ramaphosa who gave the assurance in his address at the 2nd Presidential Health Summit, Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng, said by working together and focusing on South Africa’s shared vision, his Government can create brighter future for everyone.
The South African President pointed out that his administration’s vision is to create a world-class health system accessible to all citizens regardless of socio-economic status.
According to him, “To ensure every citizen can access quality health services and receive the right diagnosis and treatment at the right time for free at the point of care.
“Such a healthcare system should be adequately staffed with well-trained and motivated healthcare professionals supported by effective management and leadership.
Ramaphosa said to achieve this vision, his government must prioritise several key areas. One, funding. “We need a well-funded health system.
“Resources will need to be pooled to provide access to quality health care for all, starting with government funding health services that have experienced a massive budget reduction in the past few years.
“We will also need to mobilise resources to address perennial problems such as HIV, TB and other non-communicable diseases.
“Two, strong governance and leadership by the Department of Health. This is to ensure that the entire health system, public and private, is well-managed, transparent, and accountable to the public.
“In this regard we look to partnerships with civil society to improve oversight, accountability. The Department of Health should be at the forefront of highlighting the importance of health for economic development and social well-being.
“Three, stepping up investment in healthcare infrastructure. We have to upgrade existing healthcare facilities, build new ones where necessary, and ensure that they are properly equipped with the latest medical equipment and technologies.
“Four, developing a motivated, capable, compassionate workforce, and working with medical schools, nursing colleges, and other healthcare training institutions in this regard.
“Government must invest more in training programs for healthcare professionals and increase staffing levels to meet the population’s needs.
“We have heard from labour at this Summit on the critical issue of increasing human resources in healthcare, and that community healthcare workers have to be integrated into NHI.
“Five, ensuring that essential medicines and medical devices are available in all healthcare facilities, including rural areas and points of access closest to the people, like community pharmacies.
“Six, advancing the local production of therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and other medical countermeasures in South Africa.
Ramaphosa added, “We have to reassess and redefine our country’s health priorities to align them with firstly, the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030;
“And secondly, the African Union’s New Public Health Order announced ahead of 77th UN General Assembly last year. The AU’s New Public Health Order is a continental health security policy anchored by five pillars.
“These are, respectively; strengthened public health institutions; increased domestic financing of health; attaining biotech sovereignty through local pharmaceutical manufacturing; building a capable health workforce; and fostering respectful, action- orientated partnerships.
Ramaphosa who revealed that South Africa is a signatory to the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and is striving to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
He said achieving Universal Health Coverage falls under SDG 3, namely Good Health and Wellbeing. “The aim is to ensure that everyone can access quality health services without incurring financial hardship.
“The aim furthermore is to promote health equity and reduce health disparities by providing essential health services to all individuals, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location.
Adding that to achieve this, health systems need to be strengthened, health coverage needs to be expanded, and out-of-pocket expenses for health services need to be reduced.
“Promoting UHC and achieving sustainable development relies on collaboration between governments, civil society organisations, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
Ramaphosa stressed that as a country, his adminstration have come a long way towards creating one health system for all. “However, disparities between public and private healthcare continue to increase.
“Moreover, despite efforts to integrate health departments, quality of healthcare is still largely influenced by where you live.
“The objective of NHI is to provide access to quality healthcare services to all South Africans, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographical location.
“It aims to reduce health disparities between different population groups and regions of the country, and to protect individuals and families from the financial burden of healthcare expenses.
“The journey towards NHI requires working with key stakeholders to prepare the health system to accommodate the entire population in one system and ensure all can access quality health care”, he noted.
South African leader pressed on that as a country there’s an opportunity to leverage public procurement spend to develop the local industries.
“We have to ensure that a reasonable balance is struck between considerations of pricing, which are naturally important, with supporting localisation, an economic growth imperative.
“Seven, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in the healthcare sector, with strict measures to ensure that medical supplies and services are procured transparently and efficiently.
“The highly-publicised situation at Tembisa Hospital and many such examples in various provinces, are unacceptable. We must protect whistle-blowers to ensure we can root out corruption that has become endemic in our health system.
Ramaphosa who applauded the excellent work of Health Sector Anti-corruption Forum, said some of the results having been presented at this Summit by the Special Investigating Unit.
He added that his Presidency will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, health professionals, the labour movement, businesses, service users, civil society, and regulators to ensure everyone is on board with their vision and committed to making it a reality.
“We also aim to step up engagement with communities across the country to make them aware of what NHI is, how it will benefit them, what their rights are, and how to access services.
“The government, private sector, civil society organisations, and individuals should work together to create a society where everyone can access the resources needed for a healthy life.
“This includes implementing policies that address poverty, education, housing, transportation, and environmental factors that impact health outcomes.
“By addressing social determinants of health across sectors, this country could promote health equity, reduce health disparities, and ultimately create a society where everyone can live a healthy life”, South African President concluded.