They say, a healthy body breeds a healthy mind. By extension, I would like to believe that a healthy nation breeds a healthy economy. South Africa’s GDP grew by 3.2% in 2011, compared to 2010, this is a rather pedestrian pace when compared to a growth rate of just over 7% in 2011 for India’s GDP. What does South Africa need to do in order to achieve a growth rate similar to that of India? In my previous postings I discussed what the Government of President Jacob Zuma must do to attract more Foreign Direct Investment. I proposed some ideas relating to the Transportation, Energy and Financial Sectors. In this posting, I look at things that government could do in the Health sector in order to ensure a healthier nation.
Critical Challenges
According to the Health Professionals Council of South Africa, the country has 393 nurses and 74 doctors per 100 000 people. Compare this to 901 nurses and 247 doctors per 100 000 people for the United States. South Africa is clearly not producing enough nurse and doctor graduates to ensure the levels of ratio’s to maintain a healthy nation today and in the future.
The global average with regards to number of hospital beds per 10,000 people is 27 with Japan and South Korea at the top of the rankings each with more than 130 beds per 10,000 people. The world’s largest economy, the USA has 31 beds while South Africa has a 28, one better than the global average.
WHAT TO DO?
First and foremost, the government of President Zuma ought to make it more affordable for people wanting to study nursing and medicine. Currently every doctor has to spend one year doing community service in a public institution after qualification. Imagine if government could offer a full scholarship to nursing and doctor students, in return for a longer community service stint upon qualification. This would achieve a number of objectives 1) it would attract smart people from poor communities into the heath profession and would potentially increase the number of nurse and doctor graduates over time; 2) it would ensure that more nurses and doctors spend more time working in public institutions. A majority of South Arica’s working population cannot afford private healthcare and therefore rely on health services provided at public hospitals and clinics to stay healthy.
Improve Personal Benefits
Government ought to ensure that pay for doctors and nurses working in the public sector is attractive. However, the biggest opportunity lies in government providing more fringe benefits as part of the package for nurses and doctors working in the public sector.
The SA government is a stakeholder in a number of multi-billion Rand commercial entities which provide essential services. These include, Eskom, the electricity generation entity; Transnet, the diversified transportation entity, SAA, the airline company and PetroSA, the petrol entity. Imagine if remuneration packages of all public sector nurses and doctors, included benefits derived from services provided by the entities listed above.
More hospital beds
President Zuma’s government has to match efforts of producing more qualified nurses and doctors with the building of more hospitals and clinics. South Africa has to increase the number of beds per 10,000 people to well above 28, if more people are to enjoy proper health care.
A combination of improved salaries as well as fringe benefits would certainly go a long way in attracting more professionals into the public health sector.
Our Politicians must show willingness to create effective government!!
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