The Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) has mooted the idea of training critically needed specialists in its member hospitals while reaffirming its commitment to helping patients stranded by State shortcomings. The idea is being jointly explored by HASA’s CEO, Advocate Kurt Worrall-Clare and Marella O’Reilly, the Acting Registrar of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to iron out legal obstacles, Izindaba reliably learnt. The move, on the back of HASA members saving lives during the recent public service strike when 1 300 often-unattended babies and adults in State facilities were transferred to private facilities, is a further potential watershed moment in critically important future public/private partnerships. However, its efficacy in terms of the current regulatory set-up was questioned by veteran clinicians and academics at the coalface. They said the fee-for-service of private surgeons, together with HPCSA rules, prevented registrars from obtaining the vital incremental hands-on experience in private hospitals. According to the 2007 SA Health Review, 73% of general practitioners and 75% of specialists work in the private sector where they – and 40% of nurses – cater for only 15% of the population.
