The loss of medical professionals will cripple the implementation of National Health Insurance. (PEAKSTOCK / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRAR / LDA / Science Photo Library via AFP)
New Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae commenced duties this week by paying surprise visits to hospitals in the province, and unsurprisingly came away less than impressed with the service provided.
Letsoha-Mathae, herself at the receiving end of arrogant behaviour from staff, berated nurses for their attitude and treatment of patients, and their glacial response to requests for assistance.
The staff and their unions will argue about working conditions, frozen posts and staff shortages, and some of these may be valid, but in no way excuse their behaviour.
The Free State patients’ frustrations are, of course, by no means unique to that province, with complaints of bad, sometimes even cruel, treatment common at public hospitals around the country.
While good South African medical staff have always readily found lucrative work in the Middle East, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, Canada now seems to have joined the race to lure our best away.
Not just doctors and nurses, but highly skilled IT professionals too who will be vital in the AI era, as well as to combat the pervasive cybercrime threat.
Their importance was illustrated this week by the many Standard Bank customers who had money taken from their accounts, including some where the corresponding cards were still in the bank’s possession.
It is against this backdrop that the previous government was determined to implement National Health Insurance, President Cyril Ramaphosa hurriedly signing the bill ahead of the elections.
Instead of trying to fix the dysfunctional public health service, the NHI will reduce all health service provision to the same low level of delivery.
The NHI is still years away from implementation, the method of funding its huge cost yet to be detailed, but time enough for the steady loss of health professionals to guarantee its failure
Independent on Saturday