Health care for military veterans

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula (Image: GCIS)

Between October and December the Department of Military Veterans will embark on a major campaign, to issue medical health cards to military veterans throughout the nine provinces.

During the campaign, which will run under the theme, 'Your health is our concern', health and wellness screenings will be conducted, with veterans being given check-ups for various illness as well as counselling.

The campaign will be officially launched by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at the Durban International Air Force Base on 15 October.

Addressing the media on Sunday (13 October), the director-general of the department of military veterans, Tsepe Motumi, said the department was prompted to run the campaign after heeding most military veterans' call for health care and the ability to access health services.

Free health services

Motumi said the campaign is part of the department's socio-economic support programmes, which provide healthcare and support to military veterans.

"The campaign is in line with government's overall objectives of providing quality health services as well as building healthy communities. It is in line with the stipulations of the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011, which states 'the benefits relating to military veterans are access to health care'," said Motumi.

Motumi said the country needed the skills, experience and expertise that military veterans possess in order to advance the reconciliation, social cohesion and nation building.

"Their health is very important to enable them to contribute effectively and efficiently," he said.

Motumi said qualifying veterans are those who are registered on the department's database and earn an income of less than R300,000 a year. Letters have been written and SMSs sent to military veterans who qualify.

"When registering, those who are entitled to services should bring along their IDs, proof of income if employed or an affidavit if unemployed, and the letter that they have received from the department," Motumi said.

In this programme, the department is working in partnership with the South African Medical Health Services of the South African National Defence Force. They are also working with the Military Veterans Healthcare Practitioners Association, an NGO of medical doctors that signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the department in May this year to provide professional services to military veterans.

Military veterans need to go to various sickbays at military posts around the country to collect their cards.