Solidarity will oppose draconian regulations for healthcare practitioners
5 August 2021
Solidarity has announced that it will strongly oppose the proposed regulations that pave the way for the implementation of the so-called “Certificate of Need” for healthcare practitioners. This follows after the proposed regulations were published in the Government Gazette for comment.
In terms of the new regulations, all healthcare practitioners must apply for a certificate that will enable them to practice. According to this, healthcare practitioners will then be prescribed on where and how they may practice. Solidarity argues that these prescriptive regulations infringe on both the rights of practitioners and patients and are therefore unconstitutional. Furthermore, it will severely restrict the provision of healthcare services.
“This certificate is nothing less than the effective takeover of healthcare practitioners’ practices. By subjecting healthcare practitioners to these regulations, it forces them to surrender themselves to the state and to only practice as pawns, as and where prescribed by the state. These regulations are a blatant exploitation of knowledge and skills to drive the state’s own agenda. This is detrimental to healthcare practitioners and patients whose constitutional rights of freedom of profession and freedom of association are not acknowledged,” said Henru Krüger, Sector Head of the Professional Guild at Solidarity.
According to Solidarity, the government is trying to pave the way for the eventual implementation of the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) through these regulations. The state already requires through this that state departments and local authorities must approve the practitioner and his or her activities and requires that healthcare practitioners specify who they will serve and accommodate within their practice.