Discovery CEO Adrian Gore says the National Health Insurance (NHI) in its current structure requires a decade or more for it to mature, and that in reality, “we don’t have sufficient resources to offer that kind of healthcare”, reports Business Times.
He said the idea “that NHI is functional and people can walk into any private hospital is not realistic”.
“We don’t have the healthcare, we don’t have the resources, we don’t have the doctors. It cannot be done,” he said during Discovery’s half-year results presentation.
He said there was a general acceptance it was not workable in its current form.
“There are court cases going on. At a higher level there is a real willingness in the private sector and government to find ways to make it work. The reality is that as a country, we don’t have sufficient resources to offer that kind of healthcare. It will take time, but there is enough space and enough good debate to find solutions.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Discovery chief believes NHI solutions may be possible
NHI will ‘require time and excellent leadership’ – Discovery CEO Adrian Gore