Agreement to pay private hospitals for treatment

THE government would pay private hospitals and medical practitioners about R16 000 for Covid-19 patients who got treated in critical care beds in private hospitals if public hospitals ran out of space, a senior health official said.

The government has been in talks for months with private firms and medical associations before a probable scenario where public hospitals run out of critical care beds.

Agreement had been reached on a daily fee of up to R16 000 for Covid-19 patients who got treated in critical care beds in private hospitals, said Anban Pillay, the Health Department’s deputy director-general.

Pillay said the fee included the cost of using the bed, paying a team of specialists to treat the patient and additional services including pathology and radiology.

The health departments in the nine provinces would sign “service-level” agreements, Pillay said.

Estimates vary widely as to how many critical care beds there are in the country. A ministry presentation in April put the total at about 3 300, with two thirds of those in the private sector.

Healthcare provider Netcare estimates there are 6 000 beds, with about 3 800 in private hospitals.

South Africa has recorded nearly 50 000 Covid-19 cases, the most in Africa, with the number rising steeply in recent weeks.

As of late last month, about 1 100 Covid-19 patients had been admitted to hospital, but it is not clear how many were in critical care.

Pillay said he expected the Western Cape Health Department to use critical care beds in private hospitals soon, followed by the Eastern Cape. The Western Cape accounts for 66% of the country’s cases and the Eastern Cape 12%.

“Given the situation in the Western Cape it was important we close this matter,” Pillay said. President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, opened the 862-bed Hospital of Hope at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday.

Ramaphosa used his visit to declare war against Covid-19, saying more hospital beds were needed in the province.

He said that in the war against the virus, saving lives must take precedence over costs, and committed to working with the provincial government to source additional staff members.