The ANC also requested an additional R150 million provision for Khayelitsha District Hospital on the health departments budget. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane ?African News Agency (ANA)
The government must find a means to get reimbursement from countries for services rendered to foreign nations at South Africa hospitals.
This is according to the ANC Western Cape Health spokesperson Rachel Windvogel, who agreed with Limpopo MEC for Health Dr Phophi Ramathuba’s concerns about foreign nationals placing a burden on South Africa’s health system.
Windvogel said Ramathuba’s point was valid, but could have been raised in a better way and through correct platforms and channels.
“While this may be correct, let us not take our eyes off the ball. We need to address the disparities in health care,” she said.
Ramathuba came under fire after a video in which she blamed Zimbabweans for “killing” the health system in the province went viral on social media.
Ramathuba was seen telling an undocumented Zimbabwean awaiting surgery that the country’s health system was not a charity.
Windvogel said the reality was that 70% of the country’s health resources go to the private health sector. Only 9% of Limpopo’s residents seek help at private hospitals, while 91% rely on public health care.
“This is why we need to accelerate the passing of the NHI bill so we can guarantee equal, affordable and quality health care, including legal migrants receiving health services in the country.
“At an appropriate platform the ANC and the national government must find the means to get reimbursement from countries for services rendered for migrants in South Africa.”
The ANC in the Western Cape was also lobbying for Khayelitsha Day Hospital (KDH) to be upgraded to a regional hospital, and to receive an increased financial allocation so that it could increase its staff and beds.
Health union Nehawu Western Cape said it supported the call to turn the hospital into a regional health facility. Nehawu provincial secretary Baxolise Mali said the hospital needed more staff.
“A shortage of staff has led to patients not being attended to speedily, but equally, the financial allocation by the Western Cape government will have to be increased.”
The department allocated an operational budget of R478 144 000 to the hospital this financial year.
The ANC has also called on Western Cape MEC for Health Nomafrench Mbombo and her department to allocate R150 million to address the staffing and bed shortages.
Windvogel said KDH only had 340 beds, and could not keep up with increasing numbers of patients.
“The Emergency Centre and the area housing mental health patients are routinely operating at above 100% capacity,” she said.
“The hospital would surely benefit from being designated a regional hospital, firstly through an increase in bed capacity, the level of service and care package and specialisation, as well as the basket of services offered.
“If you look at the population size of the geographical area serviced by Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain District Hospitals, it becomes clear that there is a need for special services offered at a regional hospital.”
While some have slammed Ramathuba’s statements as medical xenophobia, social justice group Action SA said the government’s failure to manage borders and implement measures to safeguard the sovereignty of the country were to blame.
The organisation’s Sello Lediga, in a statement, described Ramathuba’s words as a concealment of the real tragedy in the country.
He said the problem lay with the government’s inability “to manage borders and implement measures to safeguard and protect the country from harm in all forms, including the marauding of services meant for citizens.
“Nowhere are undocumented illegal immigrants allowed to have unfettered access to the services deemed for citizens such as we have in this country, and to do so without any repercussions, as we have currently.”
Sello said the health system was bursting at the seams with medical supply shortages.
“Every day pills run out in clinics, hospital beds are taken up while South Africans lie on floors or are turned away, children cannot be immunised regularly, ARVs are whittled away by undocumented and illegal immigrants among other critical shortages, while the state watches.
“We cannot thus appreciate her sentiments as this falls short of admitting her government’s glaring failure to manage and protect our borders and thus, secure services for our people.”
Western Cape health department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said foreign patients “do not impact on the province’s ability to render health services, as they were required to pay for specialist health services”.
Van der Heever said Khayelitsha hospital is one of 33 district hospitals in the province and patients where referred to one of four regional hospitals if they needed specialised care. “The hospital is delivering good services despite the pressures experienced through mental health and the Covid pandemic.”He said this year, 25 complaints had been lodged, an average of three complaints per month. “Eight (complaints) were related to patient care, seven were related to staff attitudes and three were about waiting times.”Van der Heever said the department have done an in-depth analysis and evaluation of the challenges and efficiencies at the hospital. ◄