The private healthcare sector of South Africa met recently at the Cape Town International Conference Centre to explore ways of collaboration and networking aimed at improving services across a wider clientele base, and also to get abreast with technology and the fast-changing health landscape.
The event took place under the hospice of the Dr. Precious Matsoso (Director-General, Department of Health South Africa), Dr. Amit N. Thakker (President, Africa Healthcare Federation) and the leadership of Prof. Morgan Chetty (Chairman, IPAF), healthcare leaders convened for the launch of the Healthcare Federation of South Africa (HFSA).
“It is time to recognize the critical role the private-sector providers and other actors can and must play,” said Dr. Matsoso. “The private healthcare federation is a formalized platform of all health-care stakeholders to facilitate public-private dialogue and this must be a partnership and not a private solution to a public problem,” she said.
Dr. Amit Thakker, President of Africa Healthcare Federation and Chair of Kenyan Healthcare Federation emphasized how the unified voice has helped build trust between the government and private sector through continuous public-private dialogue at the regularly held County Stakeholder Forums (CSF), Ministerial Stakeholder Forums (MSF) and the bi-annual Presidential Round Tables (PRT).
This has helped to better map the increasing role of the private health sector as well as spur healthcare investments in the country.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.