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Gordhan talks healthcare

4 Nov 2016

Having started out as a pharmacist, before embarking on a political career, finance minister, Pravin Gordhan says: "We have to find new ways of ensuring not only better access to medicines, but more effective ways of people accessing medicines, including chronic medicines without going through burdensome queues. There is much to be done to ensure that civil servants become real public servants."

“Health is central to meeting the values and rights contained in our constitution. Each day we care for a South African better than we’ve done before, each day we are building the human rights of citizens in South Africa.”

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On issues of corruption in the healthcare system, achievement of social justice for South Africans and continued skills development, he says: “How do we ensure that the public finances are spent in the right way and is not pocketed in the wrong part of the value chain?"

"We need to be vocal about the corruption in the health system. Public servants and business people ‘swopping brown envelopes’ must be called out. Fiscal revenue can be increased if social justice is achieved. South Africans should be able to say we have a dignified existence.”

Gordhan also highlights the need for the industry to start anticipating the eventual introduction and rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI). He encouraged health practitioners to view the NHI vision and the health industry in terms of the National Development Plan 2030.

He is positive that “over time as mature South Africans, we will find a way to resolve these issues.” Funds have already been allocated for the NHI vision and citizen engagement will happen on the financing model when it will be released for public comment. No date has been confirmed on the release.