result of this younger population . However , we are seeing an ageing population in the professional and even the medical scheme market . This number of elderly people will continue to increase , which will put further strain on the healthcare system and lead to rising costs .
According to the World Health Organisation ’ s World Report on Ageing and Health , the proportion of South Africa ’ s population aged 60 years or older will double from 7.7 % to 15.4 % of the country ’ s total population over the next 35 years . Age and a growing burden of disease even among the younger population are driving people to use healthcare services more regularly than in the past .
Lastly , there are fewer doctors and specialists available which means long waiting lists even in the private sector . This situation also leads to these specialists being able to demand much higher remuneration . This is not about the clinic or available hospital facilities but the skills who operate and provide services in these facilities . We are simply not creating enough nurses , doctors and specialists in our system to create more supply of services for people to access .
This sentiment has been echoed by Dr Joe Phaahla , minister of health , who revealed in a parliamentary Q & A session that the country currently has a doctor-to-patient ratio of one to 3 198 , compared to a ratio of one to 1 266 in 2019 . These numbers show that unless there is a serious intervention to create a wider base of healthcare skills , the cost of healthcare will continue to escalate .
As private healthcare costs continue to rise , medical schemes have a fundamental role to play in curbing those costs . We are always carefully considering the claims we receive and engage regularly with specialists and hospital groups to limit their prices and improve their outcomes .
Issues like hospital-acquired infections , or instances where procedures need to be repeated , are monitored carefully . Medical schemes are in a good position to analyse those performance numbers in a bid to get the best value in terms of healthcare outcomes for members . That process is ongoing to analyse claims and trends every month of every year so when we reach the next year we are positioned to tailor-make our benefits so that they are more in line with what people need .
Despite these efforts , the issue of healthcare inflation will always play a role in price increases . All we can do is try our best to identify the problems , find possible solutions and prepare ourselves for the changes that we can predict .
Craig Comrie