Are local clinics benefiting from the Overseas Treatment Scheme? According to our sources, the Ministry of Health has not yet referred patients to local clinics under the Overseas Treatment Scheme, and as such, no local private health centres have benefited from this scheme. In fact, according to the Ministry, they are working on a Public and Private (PPP) Partnership. Hence, it seems that the daily, which has published an article on this subject yesterday, did not verify this information with the Ministry.
In the 2021-2022 National Budget, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Padayachy, announced that the Ministry of Health would review the Overseas Treatment Scheme to include a framework to cover local as well as overseas treatment costs. This scheme would enable patients, who are willing to undergo their treatment in local private treatment centers, will then be able to have the Government partly cover for their medical costs. However, the framework is yet to be finalized, as the Ministry of Health will have to carry out a procurement exercise before any disbursement.
One source states that the Ministry of Health seeks to provide locals with the best private healthcare services by ensuring that all stakeholders get a fair chance to participate in the process. The end goal is that low-income households benefit from high-end medical services at the most competitive rates, which is why the Ministry is working on a procurement framework.
