EXPRESS:Referrals cost state millions
Aug 01 2007 02:07:47:730PM  - (SA)  

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The referrals of more than 1 000 patients from government to private hospitals during the public service strike has cost the state about R24,9 million.

Department of Health’s spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said they had completed gathering information on the number of patients referred to private hospitals during the strike.

“A total of 1 136 patients were transferred from public to private hospitals between 1 and 25 June.

“These were cases that required urgent attention that could not be rendered due to staffing and service delivery challenges relating to the strike,” the department sta-ted recently.

The department and the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) representing the private hospital groups agreed to work together to ease the impact of the strike on patient care.

The parties involved in this partnership were Clinix, Joint Medical Holdings, Independent Hospital Network, Life Healthcare, Medi-Clinic and Netcare.

The main concern of both the department and the private hospital sector was patient care and the agreement to assist was driven by social responsibility.

During the strike, soldiers, volunteers and private hospitals stepped in to help pu-blic health facilities crippled by the strike.

As part of this partnership, the private hospital sector agreed to charge fees that are considerably lower than those normally paid by people covered by private medical schemes.

The     department     appre-ciates the support received from the private health sector in minimising the impact of the strike on the basic right of the people of South Africa to access health care.

Relevant provincial health departments will also ensure that the R24,9 million bill is settled accordingly. – BuaNews

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