SA’s health system is in crisis and needs urgent attention to be put to right, Deputy President David Mabuza said on Friday. Addressing delegates at a two-day presidential health summit in Boksburg, he said both the public and private sectors faced challenges that compromised patient care. “We need a systemic change that will outlive us and become a gift to the new generation,” he said. The summit highlights the importance President Cyril Ramaphosa is attaching to healthcare, and follows a similar meeting he convened on National Health Insurance (NHI) in August. His economic stimulus package, announced in September, contained a commitment to reprioritise government spending that included filling 2,200 critical health posts and the purchase of essential items such as linen and beds. He also announced a R400bn infrastructure fund, which is expected to include an allocation for health. The summit has attracted 800 senior representatives from business, civil society, labour and academia...

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