Tag: Momentum Health

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Helping our Nation’s Healthcare Workers Deliver More Accessible Healthcare

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash

By Damian McHugh, Chief Marketing Officer, Momentum Health

In his 2025 Budget Speech on 21 May, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening South Africa’s healthcare system, announcing a R20.8 billion boost to provincial health budgets. This includes hiring 800 post-community service doctors, addressing shortages of essential goods and services, and settling unpaid obligations.

While this is a welcome step toward easing pressure on healthcare workers, especially in underserved areas, it also presents a vital opportunity for public-private collaboration. The question now is whether this investment will be enough to tackle the deeper, systemic challenges facing our healthcare workforce and infrastructure.

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare in South Africa, the rising demand for healthcare services, coupled with a shortage of skilled workers, creates a complex challenge. There is an urgent need to not only support but also empower healthcare workers across the country.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the shortage of skilled health professionals in South Africa is projected to be 97 000 by 20251. This challenge not only disrupts the delivery of quality care but also impacts the overall wellbeing of communities. As advocates for more accessible healthcare for more South Africans, we believe that innovative solutions are key to closing the gap, valuing and retaining current talent, and by doing so, edging us closer towards a healthier nation.

The growing need for healthcare workers is largely driven by factors such as our aging population, increased prevalence of chronic disease, and an uneven distribution of healthcare workers across provinces, with rural areas being particularly underserved2 . In these areas, patients often experience long wait times and reduced access to specialised care. Additionally, healthcare professionals across provinces often face burnout and job dissatisfaction due to excessive workloads and inadequate support. Together, these challenges add pressure to an already strained system.

Embracing Greater Collaboration and Innovation

To address local needs and support healthcare professionals in delivering quality services, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. The first step is greater collaboration between the public and private sectors. These partnerships can address systemic challenges and drive meaningful improvements, thus strengthening infrastructure and expanding affordable health insurance.

In recent years, technology has emerged with strong promise to bridge various divides. We’ve seen first-hand through our Hello Doctor offering and Momentum App how technologies such as telemedicine and emerging technology can enhance care delivery, efficiency and accessibility. These technologies can bridge geographical barriers, enabling healthcare professionals to provide remote consultations, monitor patient progress and access critical health information in real-time.

Building on the promise of technology, emerging technologies like AI can play a significant role in aiding healthcare professionals with decision-making, diagnostics, and patient management. AI-powered solutions can analyse vast amounts of data quickly, identify patterns, and provide recommendations to support evidence-based care. This can lead to more accurate diagnoses, personalised treatment plans, and improved patient outcomes.

Building a Sustainable Workforce

South Africa’s healthcare sector is one of the most stressful in the world, with the public sector particularly under severe strain. Staffing shortages exacerbate this stress, and so supporting healthcare professionals in their roles is just as important as implementing innovative technologies. Fostering a positive work environment and ensuring job satisfaction are key focus areas to improving care delivery. A supportive workplace culture not only enhances employee retention but also promotes better patient outcomes.

Prioritising Mental Health and Wellness

In addition to structural and technological improvements, we must also recognise the critical role of mental health and wellness in sustaining our healthcare workforce. Chronic stress, emotional fatigue, and trauma exposure are daily realities for many healthcare workers. Without adequate mental health support, these pressures lead to burnout, absenteeism, and crippling fatigue.

In recent years, it has become clear that wellness extends beyond physical health. As a result, a visible shift has occurred across the healthcare sector to provide wellness solutions that offer counselling services, resilience training, and mindfulness programmes tailored to the unique challenges faced by healthcare professionals. By embedding mental wellness into the core of workforce support strategies, we not only protect the individuals who care for our nation but also enhance the quality and consistency of the care they provide.

Retaining healthcare professionals is not only critical to the future of healthcare delivery in South Africa, but also to the future health of its people. Healthcare institutions must implement proactive strategies that prioritise the wellbeing of their staff.

Bridging the healthcare workforce gap in South Africa requires investing in innovation, training, and supportive work environments. Building a sustainable healthcare workforce capable of meeting the needs of our nation will take our collective effort to support and empower the sector. Together, we can create a healthier South Africa for generations to come.

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Momentum Health: Pioneering Public-Private Partnerships for Universal Health Coverage

On By ModernMedia
Photo by ROCKETMANN TEAM

Dr Ali Hamdulay, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metropolitan Health, a subsidiary of Momentum Health

As we commemorate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day on Thursday, 12 December 2024, it is essential to reflect on the progress made in advancing healthcare access and quality in South Africa. Universal health coverage means ensuring that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without facing economic barriers. In the South African context, this involves addressing the disparities in our healthcare sectors and ensuring that every citizen, regardless of their financial or social status, has equitable access to quality care.

In South Africa, a large portion of the population lacks medical protection cover, underscoring the urgent need for affordable healthcare solutions. Employed and insured individuals seek comprehensive yet affordable healthcare, while the employed but uninsured (6 to 8 million) face financial strain accessing quality care. Workers in the informal sector and SMEs often lack medical cover too, exposing them to significant out-of-pocket expenses. Those unable to afford any medical funding rely heavily on overburdened public healthcare facilities, highlighting the necessity for accessible and inclusive universal healthcare across all economic groups.

For over 60 years, South Africa’s healthcare sector has been characterised by a dual system of providers. Government has invested heavily in healthcare infrastructure and services and has made notable strides in improving access to quality healthcare. However, there is a significant opportunity for greater collaboration and meaningful partnerships within South Africa’s healthcare sector, focused on developing solutions that cater to the diverse needs of the population.

The healthcare ecosystem relies on the interdependence of various role players, including healthcare professionals, facilities, funders, administrators and government entities. Each of these contributors play a crucial role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of every citizen.

For the system to be sustainable, we must understand, recognise and cater to the unique contributions and requirements of each role player. This approach is vital for maintaining service continuity, quality, and access to necessary healthcare services through collaboration. Effective partnerships across these functions are critical to the success of the healthcare ecosystem.

To address the needs of low-income earners who are privately employed but uninsured, Momentum Health launched Health4Me, a healthcare insurance product that enables employer groups to provide affordable healthcare cover to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Our approach goes beyond merely paying claims; we focus on promoting health, wellbeing, and productivity, ultimately enhancing quality of life. This is achieved through primary healthcare facilities, technology, and incentivising wellbeing. The rapid growth of this healthcare insurance solution speaks to its success and its impact on offering more healthcare for more South Africans, for less. By expanding access to universal healthcare through primary healthcare, technological capabilities, and healthcare-strengthening initiatives, there are opportunities to collaborate and address the needs of additional population cohorts.

Through our vast experience in the design and management of healthcare solutions, we have learned valuable lessons that enable us to effectively collaborate across sectors. One of the critical lessons is the importance of clear communication and defined roles for all stakeholders involved in working towards establishing universal healthcare access. Successful partnerships have demonstrated that when goals are aligned across sectors to achieve a common objective, such as improving patient outcomes, success is possible.

As such, the success of creating a healthcare sector that ensures access for all hinges on flexibility and adaptability. The healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and partnerships must be adaptable to address new challenges and opportunities. This includes being open to innovative solutions and technologies that can enhance service delivery and patient care.

Healthcare is essential not only for individuals and households, but also as a cornerstone of the economy. Without a healthy workforce, productivity declines, leading to far-reaching ripple effects on business sustainability. In this evolving landscape, preventative measures, therefore, become increasingly important. Providing wellness programmes that support both the mental and physical wellbeing of employees is crucial. Equally important is equipping healthcare consumers with the tools and knowledge to understand and improve their health status.

By investing in community health programmes and early interventions, we can address health issues before they escalate, easing the burden on healthcare systems. Collaboration across sectors can significantly increase access to preventative care by leveraging the resources and expertise of both sectors. Integrating preventative care into primary healthcare shifts the focus from reactive to proactive care.

It is advantageous to focus on co-creating platforms and mutually solving for the needs of our population through collaboration. This approach fosters consistency in service delivery and builds trust between entities. Metropolitan Health, a subsidiary of Momentum Health, has demonstrated its commitment to health strengthening by supporting leadership and professional development through its partnership with the National School of Government. By sharing and imparting knowledge, we are supporting the education and empowerment of future healthcare leaders through regular joint training and capacity-building programmes. This further improves collaboration by fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Building on these collaborative efforts, innovative models such as health hubs can further enhance healthcare delivery. These hubs combine offerings from both sectors, providing a range of services from primary care to specialised treatments under one roof. Telehealth is another innovative approach that has shown great promise. By utilising digital platforms, we can extend healthcare services to remote and underserved areas, ensuring that more people have access to quality care.

While effective collaboration is key to providing access to quality healthcare for more people, success cannot be achieved without fostering an environment that encourages innovation and supports conducive partnership development. By creating a more enabling environment, we can facilitate smoother collaboration and attract more private sector investment in healthcare.

Looking towards 2025, the vision for healthcare in South Africa is one of greater access, integration, and collaboration. By working together, we can create a more resilient and responsive healthcare system that meets the needs of all citizens. I envision the future of healthcare delivery as one that drives innovation and improves access to care. By leveraging partnerships and co-creation, I believe we can make significant strides towards achieving universal health coverage and ensure that no one is left behind.