Cost of new health-care plan a worry

HEALTH MEC Professor Nomafrench Mbombo has warned against the cost implications of the Presidential Health Compact signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week.

Mbombo said more money will have to be allocated to make the plans a reality.

“Health departments countrywide face major challenges, largely due to the increasing burden of disease, and reduced budgets,” she said.

“Provincial budgets have been decreased by R9 billion over the past three years.

“And even if budgets appear to increase on paper, they are shrinking in real terms due to above-inflation wage increases for staff and medical inflation, which is 3% higher than general inflation. Above-inflations wage increases are not provided for.

“Additional funding is therefore required to give effect to the promises of the social compact,” she added.

The compact is a blueprint for improving the public health-care system, and is part of the government’s plan for achieving universal health coverage with the National Health Insurance (NHI) fund.

The compact includes a list of promises, including lifting the moratorium on filling crucial posts in the public health-care system, and training more specialists.

Mbombo said the provincial health departments were under strain, and grappling with an increasing demand for services against shrinking budgets.

“The Western Cape health department has a strong track record of strengthening its health-care system and performance, as evidenced by some of the best health outcomes in the country; a 15-year track record of unqualified audits; and clean financial audits for the past three years.

“We have the capacity to turn additional funding into delivery and impact,” Mbombo said, adding that in order for the Presidential Health Compact to succeed, they believed the focus should be on establishing strong provincial health-care systems.

“We are supportive of the globally accepted approach of a united health-care system, which is not only to improve health outcomes, but also to reduce poverty and strengthen the economy,” she said.

We have the capacity to turn additional funding into delivery and impact Nomafrench Mbombo HEALTH MEC