Question NW31 to the Minister of Health
01 August 2024 - NW31
Gcilishe, Ms S to ask the Minister of Health
Whether, in light of how Government continues to pay R71 billion per annum for its 1,3 million employees to access private hospitals that compete with public hospitals, he has considered repurposing portions of the public hospitals into private sections to be used by government employees so that billions of Rand will circulate in the public sector; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Currently there is no plan to repurpose portions of the public hospitals into private sections. Instead many public hospitals also attend to patients that have medical aid cover who prefer to be cared for in public hospitals. These patients get admitted to normal wards like all other patients without discrimination. There was an attempt previously to create private wards inside the public hospitals which was counter-productive as Doctors would bring their private patients and pay more attention to them at the expense of public patients. The current experience is that an increasing number of privately funded patients also seek care in public hospitals.
END.