The unjust and biased national health finance structure is what needs to be fixed to avoid tragedies like the death of 36 psychiatric  patients

15 September 2016

The Congress of South African adds its voice in condemning the death of 36 mental patients and also in welcoming the Gauteng MEC for Health’s commitment to investigating and leaving no stone unturned in getting the facts and reasons behind this tragedy. It frightening to see that so many patients died in a space of four months without anyone from the department intervening.

Someone needs to be held accountable; and while we will await the outcome of the investigation, the MEC needs to account on the blatant failures of the department’s management systems. The families and South Africans in general deserve answers. The department failed to monitor these NGO’s and all the initial evidence points to the fact that they literally abandoned these patients. 

We send our heartfelt condolences to all the families of the affected families. The federation has noted that some people are blaming the provincial department of health for terminating an expensive contract with Life Healthcare’s Esidimeni as a source of these tragic deaths. COSATU does not believe that the answer to our healthcare challenges is for government to outsource its mandate and at the same time bankrupt itself in the process. We need to strengthen and build government’s capacity instead on weakening it through outsourcing.

Our healthcare problems can only be addressed by increasing citizens’ access to quality and affordable healthcare. South Africa’s constitution (section 27) instructs government to: take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of this right”.

This constitutional right has been undermined by the commodification of health in South Africa. The main cause of this is the unjust and biased national health financing structure of our healthcare.

COSATU continues to argue that the only practical and justifiable solution is the introduction of a National Health Insurance. The objective of this policy will be to: provide universal access to quality health services; create a single fund to decrease financial risks associated with accessing health care ; procure services on behalf of the entire population and effectively mobilize and control key financial services; and  improve the under resourced public sector.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 15 September 2016