Outsourced Nursing Services: Private vs Public Healthcare Facilities
South Africa’s healthcare system is divided between two worlds – the private and public sector, representing the strong contrast in the country’s socio-economic landscape. According to a report by Wits, the public, state-funded healthcare system caters for nearly 71% of the country’s population.
The cost of private healthcare is just not affordable for a large majority of our people.
With such a striking difference, the number of patients in public healthcare institutions far outweighs that of private healthcare centres, thus creating a more significant demand for infrastructure. This demand includes the need for more healthcare professionals qualified to provide aid and service to those in need of medical care, especially amidst this global talent shortage.
“Health cannot be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right.” Nelson Mandela
The South African government must ensure that the implementation of core national standards delivers the desired health outcomes required by its people. South Africa’s constitution provides all individuals with the right to health services, but the public has lost confidence in the healthcare system due to declining health care quality.
This situation has presented healthcare institutions with an opportunity to explore solutions such as outsourcing different medical resources, including its medical staff, such as doctors and nurses.
Let us look deeper into healthcare outsourcing and healthcare providers’ opportunities to leverage this solution. If you require a more immediate answer, contact Greys today to connect with a leading provider of nursing services.
Could Outsourcing Improve the Quality of Public Healthcare?
Globally, South Africa’s healthcare system ranked 49 out of 89 countries, leaving us sitting on the wrong side of the 50th percentile. The government has looked at implementing National Health Insurance, like those offered in first world countries worldwide.
The National Health Insurance Scheme is designed to provide universal healthcare by purchasing services from medical professionals through the National Health Insurance Fund. A question remains whether this will solve the current issues experienced in the national healthcare sector and what impact it would have on the state of medical personnel. Would it provide more opportunities, leading to a greater supply of outsourced healthcare services?
South Africa’s metropolitan areas have some of the best public healthcare facilities in the country, namely Cape Town and Johannesburg. But it is challenging to find the same level of quality healthcare facilities in the more rural locations across the country.
With South Africa’s private institutions offering better packages to employees, many talented medical staff are looking for work at private healthcare centres with better work life. With the lack of resources at public hospitals, nurses are more inclined to move towards cities where resources are readily available such as newer and updated equipment. This situation leaves rural areas facing the daunting task of finding skilled staff to service these communities.
Turning to Youth-based Solutions
The South African government could intervene further and potentially look at making wages more competitive for public healthcare servants by accessing necessary stimulus. As with many countries, nurses in South Africa tend to be older, with fewer younger nurses entering the workforce and only 21% of registered nurses in their 30s.
A potential national drive could exist where private healthcare institutions and private medical aids could receive tax breaks and skills development points; for the development of our country’s nurses through programmes such as the Youth Employment Initiative (Y.E.S). Sponsored employees could then be placed and outsourced to public healthcare institutions where they can gain practical hands-on experience.
Netcare has already looked at training over 1000 South Africans wanting to enter the medical sector and is one of five companies that have pledged to assist youth development. Dr Ndzwayiba stated that once graduates had successfully met their necessary graduate requirements, students would be placed at one of their facilities. Perhaps these placements could create opportunities to outsource youth to our public healthcare institutions.
Outsourcing of Medical Services on the Rise Globally
If key stakeholders do not work to reduce the cost of private health care, these costs will rise for everyone. Government heavily subsidises public services, which is why costs remain a burden.
Outsourcing your staffing solutions might be the answer you are looking for to reduce overhead costs. With Greys Nursing Services, we are constantly looking for dedicated professionals ready to make a difference in the healthcare field. Finding the right nurse to bring onboard into your organisation is vital for any medical institution, public or private.
Visit our website to learn more about Greys Nursing Services and contact us today about our nursing outsourcing solutions. You can access talented nursing staff by outsourcing your nursing services through an industry leader like Greys Nursing Services.
If you are interested in learning more about outsourcing nursing services, see the following article Why Healthcare Providers are Outsourcing Their Nursing.
