Birthing team at Netcare Pholosho to provide affordable healthcare for patients not on medical aid
The programme covers women who are fewer than 26 weeks pregnant although it is recommended they enter the programme before 12 weeks, to enable early diagnosis and management of medical conditions that may arise.
POLOKWANE – The introduction of a birthing team at Netcare Pholosho will provide affordable private healthcare for patients who don’t belong to a medical aid fund.
Working with Professional Provider Organisation Services (PPO Serve), a healthcare management company, the hospital launched a product that will bring change to the health industry. Dr Brian Ruff, co-founder of PPO Serve explained that the Netcare Pholosho birthing team is the fourth one to be established in the country and has since delivered 800 babies. He said that PPO Serve was founded because of the need for convergence between the private and public health system to a single unitary health system.
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“It was designed to give more South African women high-quality care at a rate that they can afford,” he said.
The programme covers women who are fewer than 26 weeks pregnant although it is recommended they enter the programme before 12 weeks, to enable early diagnosis and management of medical conditions that may arise.
The birthing team takes a team work approach which consists of midwives and obstetricians which are further supported by anaesthetists, psychologists and social workers as part of the programme, providing the best care by covering all basics for any need that a mother about to give birth may experience.
Every patient that joins the programme undergoes an assessment and personalised care plan that is developed for their individual needs with the midwife as the primary caregiver; coordinating all care among the relevant professionals in the team.
What makes the birthing team special is the all-inclusive price that is allocated to the patient upon enrolment into the programme, avoiding any unplanned expenses for the patient. The cost will, however, differ for different patients depending on their requirements influenced by local factors. The programme cost covers the care plan agreed upon, irrespective of the type of delivery or service intensity as long as the patient is manageable within the programme according to the team’s assessment.
For the amount that the assessment may show, it covers a minimum of eight antenatal visits of which six are with a midwife and two with a doctor unless it’s required that they always see a doctor. The birth will be normal, but if there is a need for an emergency caesarean it will be covered. It also covers postnatal care that is offered after three days, 10 days and six weeks after giving birth.
The programme covers minor complications and managing infections that may arise, however, serious chronic conditions, highly complex conditions and those who are at risk of early delivery are not included so as to keep the product affordable and sustainable to as many women as possible.
Discussions with schemes are underway to allow women on select schemes to enter the programme to allow the team to manage more complex pregnancies, at a higher price than the cash programme.
Dr Portia Manamela, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Netcare Pholosho said that the birth team is the result of months of hard work.
“The reason we wanted to have this birthing team was to bring affordable private healthcare,” she said.
She commended the team, particularly the midwives, for their dedication to the product. “Midwives are the backbone of obstetrics and gynaecology. Here at Netcare we have an outstanding team of midwives that will be working with the mothers coming to give birth,” she added.
