CAPE TOWN -
The coronavirus has exposed the shortcomings in the current system and its impact shows the need for a new National Health Insurance (NHI) says NHI fund developer and consultant at the Department of Health, Dr Nicholas Crisp.
In an interview on SAfm, Crisp said the virus highlighted the strength between public and private healthcares and that the government was aware of inefficiencies in the current system.
“What we’ve learned during Covid-19 is that if we’d had one system, it would have been much easier,” said Crisp.
“We’ve learned a great deal about working together with private hospitals and practitioners during this time. It has taught us we can do it. The willingness to cooperate has been great.
“Healthcare is not just about treatment. It is also about preventing people from reaching the point where they need treatment.
“We are not going to deny that is what has happened. The question is not to see how clever we are in documenting how bad things are, but to see how clever we can be in fixing them in the shortest possible time,” he said.
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