WC health dept banking on public-private partnership to address challenges

CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness hopes a partnership with the private sector can help overcome the challenges it faces.

The provincial MEC for Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, said the department recently launched a think tank with the private sector to create measures that could assist with emergency medical services.

READ: WC Health Dept highlights challenges in providing emergency medical services

Wenger said her department was aware that the slow response time for ambulances in rural areas remains an issue.

The MEC said the department aimed to extend its partnerships with the private sector at local level throughout the province.

"We are trying to resolve some of the issues and not only in respect of ambulances at the local level and we're trying to see at a system level how do we improve some of these things."