Editorial Comment: Private healthcare a necessary evil?

Empirical evidence presented over the years has indicated that the exorbitant fees charged by the private sector-run health facilities limit the poor’s access to and use of healthcare facilities, thereby undermining healthcare consumption affordability, access and equity.

While it is evident that the public healthcare system is semi-comatose, the option of private care, however, is out of reach for many people surviving on average salaries which are paid in RTGS currency.

Although the initial idea for private healthcare was to give people diverse options for services, this is no longer about choosing the best because many desperate people find themselves in consulting rooms of these healthcare givers who charge in United States dollars and other acceptable foreign currencies.

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