DA invites Vavi to debate his dangerous ideas on health care

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has sent a letter of invitation to Cosatu Secretary-General, Zwelinzima Vavi to attend a DA conference on health that we are holding in Gauteng next week. We believe that the dangerous and unworkable solutions that he has proposed for South Africa's health care crisis need to be publicly debated, and exposed for the short-term politicking that they are.

At a South African Medical Association Conference over the weekend, Vavi argued that "There is a need to radically shift the way society funds its healthcare - by incorporating all health care resources in the public sector". Vavi's claim ignores the overwhelming evidence from around the world that the most successful health systems are those in which there is substantial involvement in the delivery of services by the private sector. His opinions, if they were to be taken up in national policy, would put an end to the possibility of establishing a health system which could truly meet the health needs of all South Africans.

Poor management of health facilities has crippled the public sector's ability to deliver services. However, it is notable that in Vavi's analysis of the problems facing health care, the blame is placed entirely on external factors, such as macro-economic policy and the private health sector, rather than on poor management within the public sector.

When hospitals CEOs are appointed without any experience or training; when health management systems are so poor that hospitals are unable to keep medicine cabinets properly stocked; and when the national Minister of Health is so preoccupied with beetroots and garlic that she ignores the human resources crisis on her hands, then it is clear that the problem facing this sector is about management rather than money.

The DA will be hosting a conference next week to debate the future of South African health care. A particular focus will be human resources, and Dr Kgosi Letlape, the Chairperson of the Medical Association of South Africa, and a representative of the Rural Doctors' Association, will both speak on this subject. We will also be discussing the relationship between the public and private sectors with Hospital Association of South Africa Chairperson Dr Nkaki Matlata, and the best system for medicines regulation with former Medicines Control Council Registrar Dr Johann Schlebusch.

Statement issued by Mike Waters MP, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on health, September 2 2008