On Friday I was the moderator at a session of the HealthCare Expansion Congress that dealt with Africa's pandemic and pandemic preparedness. All three speakers highlighted one simple fact - our healthcare infrastructure is totally inadequate and will not stand up to a major onslaught. In fact Dr Kgosi Letlape, president of the South African Medical Association said that a higher being must have looked kindly on Africa by not letting SARS enter the continent. The simple truth is that if bird flu, for example, were to arrive here - we could not cope. And this is mirrored in our failure to cope with the epidemics of TB and HIV that threaten the very fabric of our society. The other thing that the outspoken Dr Letlape said is that we are no longer a caring society. It is every man for himself - and how true this is. So, how are we going to change the appalling state of our public health services in South Africa? According to Dr Letlape it is a waste of time waiting for government to do something - they will not until those with a voice start to use public health care services and complain, loudly, about how bad they are. He pointed out that not a single one of our politicians use public hospitals and clinics. When our Minister of Health needed a liver transplant, she went privately. Others have left the country for care - not trusting even our private health services. In a country where inequality and lack of caring is so stark, it may well be that the only way to improve the health of all is by unifying our health services. And that means getting an overarching health service that provides a uniformly high standard of care to everyone - not just those who can pay for medical aids. Am I prepared to give up my medical aid and wait in queues in day hospitals and go to a state hospital for major treatment? I must admit that I am not sure - I certainly know that I wouldn't subject my elderly father to that. But, Dr Letlape is probably right. The poor have no voice - we must speak for them - and speaking through our actions will carry far more weight than mere words.
Bridget Farham Editor https://www.bizcommunity.com