Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has called on the private sector to assist government in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

“This is not about public or private; it’s about the performance of the entire healthcare system. We can’t run away from NHI,” Motsoaledi said at the Hospital Association of South Africa’s (HASA) conference held in Cape Town.

He asked the private sector to assist government in three key areas including the implementation of NHI, improvement of human resources management to help reduce mortality due to HIV, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.

He said for the next five years, the Health Department would deal with the restructuring of the healthcare system, including ensuring that sufficient human resources were made available.

“During this first phase, specialist teams at district levels would be appointed including a gynaecologist, midwife, anaesthetist, paediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals to take care of all hospitals in each of South Africa’s 52 districts. I want to bring back retired specialist and professors,” he explained.

He reiterated the need for a complete transformation of healthcare service provision and delivery, including the total overhaul of the entire healthcare system as well as the radical change of administration and management.

“The provision of a comprehensive package of care underpinned by a re-engineered primary healthcare was also an important pillar.”

Other areas the department is focusing on include a review of the drug policy, revitalisation of physical infrastructure, improving quality of service and strengthening the country’s research and development capacity.

HASA chairperson Dr Nkaki Matlala said private hospitals supported universal coverage and hoped that it would be a “home grown” solution, and that stakeholders would be consulted.

“We know universal coverage does not mean the death of private services… We need to find a way of contributing positively,” Matlala said.

The NHI is expected to be rolled out in April 2012 as a pilot for the next five years. A green paper on NHI has been released for public comment.