Report by Dr. Madeleine Muller:
As you all remember we marched to the MEC offices on the 13th
of September to hand over a memorandum to the MEC of Health. It was received by
Dr Mbengashe, the SG and HOD of Health. In the memorandum we asked for a plan
on fixing the Eastern Cape by 11 October.
The Coalition then met on the 14th of October, by which
time we had no reply and I include the press statement below on the 15th
expressing our disappointment.
We were therefore very pleased when a reply was finally sent on
Friday, the 18th of October. It does mention all the points in our
memorandum but is unfortunately a fairly weak document with general promises
with no timelines or specific plans of actions (e.g. they will fight
corruption). We are currently interrogating this plan in detail and the
coalition will respond to it.
What is amazing is that a first step of a conversation has
opened up. The Health department is making commitments to improve care and we
will continue to advocate for specific plans and timelines, which we will then
monitor.
The most phenomenal experience for me out of these last 4 weeks
are the many organisations that have joined the coalition and the amazing rise
of civil society we have seen. Who know what might be possible!
Remember
to spread the word about how to get in contact with the ECHCAC and stay
informed about our work:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EChealthcrisis (please
like the page!)
Website
www.echealthcrisis.org (please sign the memorandum!)
Phone:
Kwazi Mbatha: 0780599309 or Anele Yawa: 073 555 8849
Email: echealthcrisis@rhap.org.za
____________
EASTERN CAPE
HEALTH CRISIS ACTION COALITION
15 October 2013
ECHCAC press statement: Request for a
meeting with Premier, Provincial Government and the ANC following non-response
from MEC Sicelo Gqobana
EAST LONDON - The
Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition (ECHCAC) resolved at a meeting
yesterday to immediately write to the ANC, the Eastern Cape standing committee
on health and the Premier regarding Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana’s continued failure
to respond to the memorandum we presented to his office on 13 September 2013.
We will request a meeting
with these parties by the end of this month and will thereafter consider our
options.
The health crisis
in the Eastern Cape requires not only urgent action, but also the development
of a recovery plan to make systemic changes to fix the healthcare system in the
Eastern Cape, large parts of which are in a state of crisis and collapse.
The publication of
a special investigative report by the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27,
“Death and Dying in the Eastern Cape” did prompt a response by the national
health minister. His response did not include a recovery plan, but did attempt
to deal with some of the immediate crises identified in the report.
Whilst applauding
the response of the Minister, in which he accepted that the Eastern Cape
healthcare system is in a state of crisis, our members report that there been
little real change on the ground. Unfortunately we have received a number of
reports that other than at Holy Cross Hospital the promised equipment has not
yet arrived at most of the institutions where the situation is equally
desperate. Promised blood pressure machines, wheelchairs and other equipment
has not reached many of the facilities. In fact, there are reports of a
deepening crisis. We have also received some reports that health workers are
less keen to report challenges following threats of victimization and the
attention generated by the report.
ECHCAC’s demands
were set in a memorandum accepted on behalf of the MEC by Thobile Mbengashe,
the Head of Department for Health in the Eastern Cape, at a march in Bhisho on
September 13.
However, a
deadline to respond by October 11 has been ignored by the MEC and his
officials.
We note media
reports in which the MEC’s spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo is quoted as stating that the provincial
department of health feels that Minister Motsoaledi's previous press conference
qualifies as a plan and fills the conditions of the memorandum. Kupelo
reportedly told a journalist that the national minister has already responded
by tabling his plans to address the concerns raised.
Yesterday’s meeting
was attended by a wide range of ECHCAC’s ever-growing organisational membership
including the Treatment Action Campaign, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA,
Rural Rehab SA, Rural Health Advocacy Project, Keiskamma Trust, Democracy From
Below, Budget and Expenditure Monitoring Forum, SECTION27, Public Service Accountability
Monitor, Community Health Workers Chalumna, Black Sash, South African Medical
Association, the Federation of Unions of SA, Rural Doctors’ Association of SA
and the Methodist Church of South Africa.
ECHCAC is inspired
by the continuously increasing unity amongst a broad spectrum of civil society
and call upon religious leaders, social movements, NGOs, healthcare
professionals and members of civil society to join our campaign to work with
the government to fix the healthcare system in the Eastern Cape. The purpose
and principles of this campaign were agreed and are set out in a separate
document.
We are
particularly encouraged by the increased flow of information from healthcare
professionals working in the Eastern Cape and the groundswell of support for
ECHCAC at the community level. We encourage healthcare professionals and users
of the system to speak out to assist us in our effort to ensure that the people
of the Eastern Cape have access to quality healthcare as is promised by the
Constitution.
ECHCAC will now
urgently write to and request meetings prior to the end of October with:
* The Premier of
the Eastern Cape Mrs Noxolo Kieviet;
* The Standing
Committee on Health in the Eastern Cape;
* The Eastern Cape
leadership of the African National Congress.
ECHCAC also
condemns any intimidation or victimisation of healthcare professionals who speak
out and call upon the MEC for the Health and the National Minister of Health to
make clear public statements to this effect.
Unless the above
meetings lead to agreement that there is a need for a comprehensive recovery
plan, combined with actions to fix life threatening problems, ECHCAC will
organise further demonstrations, mobilisation and protest within the Eastern
Cape and throughout the country.
If we do not begin
to see urgent action and a movement towards systemic change in the Eastern Cape
public healthcare system it was resolved to explore the option of taking legal
action. In the run up to the 2014 Elections, we call upon the Eastern Cape
government to take seriously people’s demands for their constitutional right to
have access to healthcare met.
_____________
The ECHCAC is a coalition of organisations and individuals primarily from the Eastern Cape dedicated to fixing the healthcare system and ensuring the realisation of the constitutional right to health in the Province, and includes:
- TAC - Treatment Action Campaign
- RudASA - Rural Doctors Assoc. of SA
- RHAP - Rural Health Advocacy Project
- SECTION 27
- DENOSA - Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA
- People's Health Movement
- BEMF - Budget and Expenditure Monitoring Forum
- RuReSA - Rural Rehab South Africa and also go to: http://www.ruralrehab.co.za/
- PSAM - Public Service Accountability Monitor
- SAMA - South African Medical Association
- Black Sash
- Igazi Foundation
- Democracy from Below
- CASAC - Council For The Advancement of The South African Constitution
- World AIDS Campaign
- PACASA - Professional Association of Clinical Associates SA
- JUDASA - Junior Doctors Association of SA
Visit the ECHCAC website and sign the memorandum at: http://echealthcrisis.org/
Contact:
Kwazi Mbatha: 078 059 9309 / ECHealthCrisis@rhap.org.za
Anele Yawa: 073 555 8849
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