Partnership Transforms Health Sector Into Economy Driver

At the opening of a clinic in Somerset West that came about as a partnership between Metropolitan Health and the Alpha Pharm National Health Network, Western Cape Minister of Health Theuns Botha said government’s role is to help meet the needs of investors and the private sector. “Partnerships are the sphere for that growth.”

Minister Botha said Western Cape Government’s vision is to become the best place to invest in the world and for this reason job-creating growth is a priority.

“This vision underpins the Western Cape Government’s Strategic Objective 1, which is to create an enabling business environment that attracts investment and spurs growth.”

Minister Botha said in order to grow the health economy and stretch the health rand, Government needs to partner with the private sector, and vice versa.

“One of the key ways in which the Western Cape Government has tried to improve healthcare quality is through innovative public-private partnerships. Partnerships leverage the talents of the private sector for the benefit of all our people. They are the wheels that turn the health sector from a money consumer to an economy driver.”

One of the major projects tackled by the Business Development Unit in the past year was the call for tenders on non-profit organisations for proposals for the re-provisioning of family planning and vaccines in co-operation with the private sector.

Circle Pharmacy is one of the groups that have applied.

The application is in the evaluation stage. Service level agreements with successful applicants will be signed at the end of May this year and stock provisions will commence in July this year.