National health: SA 'part of global trend'

Describing South Africa's mental health services as fragmented, unfairly distributed and inadequately resourced, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has called for greater awareness, better planning - and a move away from a "hospi-centric" approach to the treatment of mental illnesses.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has identified 10 districts in the country for the much-awaited pilot of South Africa's National Health Insurance, which will be phased in from 1 April.

South Africa's custom-built "health train", Phelophepha I, delivers health services to remote areas of the country, reaching over 180 000 patients a year. That number will now be doubled, following the launch of the R80-million Phelophepha II.

South Africa has moved one step closer to a National Health Insurance scheme, with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announcing a R121-billion health budget for 2012/13, aimed at improving hospitals and strengthening public health ahead of the scheme's introduction.