By Daanyaal Matthews
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has launched a public-private sector think tank aimed at developing an innovative universal healthcare policy for the province.
The initiative was unveiled to address challenges in both the public and private healthcare sectors. Provincial MEC for Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, expressed hope that the collaboration between the sectors will help expand access to public healthcare while ensuring greater efficiency.
Speaking on VOC’s airwaves, Wenger noted that the public health sector continues to face financial constraints, with previous austerity measures implemented by the national government having severely impacted local health institutions.
“We treat patients as best we can within the constraints that we do have. As you well know, South Africa went through a fiscal emergency where many of our budgets were cut, and that, of course, put pressure on the system. We are building back from that austerity as quickly as we can and every day striving to improve the service that we offer,” added Wenger.
She further explained that one of the think tank’s primary goals is to develop a strategy for universal healthcare by next year, alongside short-term solutions to improve access to services in the interim.
“What we are trying to do is co-create a strategy for universal healthcare, and we are hoping to do that within the next year. At the same time, we are looking at what we call ‘quick ones,’ which are things we can do sooner rather than later that will have the most impact in different areas so that access to care is increased in the Western Cape,” stated the MEC.
