A total of 1 136 patients were transferred from public to private hospitals during the public-sector strike at a cost of R24,9-million, the Department of Health said on Monday.
”These were cases that required urgent attention that could not be rendered due to staffing and service delivery challenges relating to the strike,” spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said.
Mngadi said the department and the Hospital Association of South Africa (Hasa), which represented the private hospital groups, agreed to work together to mitigate the impact of the strike on patient care.
The private hospital groups, which include Life Healthcare, Medi-Clinic and Netcare, agreed to charge fees that were substantially lower than those normally paid by people covered by private medical schemes.
”The Department of Health appreciates the support received from private health sector in minimising the impact of the strike on the basic right of the people of South Africa to access healthcare,” Mngadi said.
The R24,9-million bill is to be settled by provincial health departments.
The crippling strike was called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions in a bid to force the government to agree to a 12% pay rise. – Sapa