The government has decided to grant King Faisal Hospital full autonomy in order to make it more productive.The move has come at the opportune time when the hospital is positioning itself among the most advanced in the region.The era of governments having tight control over hospitals and other service providers is long past. Gone will be the days when King Faisal depended on the Ministry of Health for its day-to-day affairs. It will now be able to chart its own course.The government has always had good plans for the hospital, but not all have turned out well. The short but painful association with Netcare, a few years ago, should act as a stark reminder to tread a careful path.The Netcare fiasco did not do much to improve healthcare because it was more profit oriented. While the new King Faisal will also aim to be run like a successful business, its administration should not forget that the people come first. This will call for innovation.The success of Rwandair should serve as an incentive that government entities can be run successfully if sound business modules are applied. The sky is the limit for the hospital but a sound piece of advice; let innovation go hand-in-hand with affordability. Let it be centred.
