ActionSA MP Dr Kgosi Letlape has urged other MPs to use public healthcare facilities instead of private services.
During a plenaries session of parliament's new portfolio committee on health, Letlape said MPs using public hospitals and clinics would improve the public healthcare system.
“The members of this house, the members of the NCOP [National Council of Provinces], the MPLs, the judges, we must all obtain our health services from the public sector,” he said.
“I can assure you if all of us get our services from the public sector, the absent professionals, the ghost professionals who are running their private practices, the attitudes of health professionals towards patients, the absence of drugs, the absence of services and lack of equipment will stop.
“If our lives are on the line, we will ensure the public health system works. What we need to do is fix what we have. The key priority should be to fix the public health system, and we should go there for our services.”
Letlape said MPs should lead by example.
“Healthcare is in crisis in our country, and it requires proper leadership from the National Assembly. We need to ensure we pledge solidarity with the people who voted us to power by committing to obtain our health services from the public sector as public office bearers who lead by example. We should be the ones to lead where we want the society to go.
“There will be no greater incentive to ensure proper oversight throughout the public health system than by obtaining our personal health services with the people so we truly become a government of the people by the people.”
Kgosi Letlape tells MPs to use public clinics, hospitals to improve services
‘If our lives are on the line, we will ensure the public health system works’
ActionSA MP Dr Kgosi Letlape has urged other MPs to use public healthcare facilities instead of private services.
During a plenaries session of parliament's new portfolio committee on health, Letlape said MPs using public hospitals and clinics would improve the public healthcare system.
“The members of this house, the members of the NCOP [National Council of Provinces], the MPLs, the judges, we must all obtain our health services from the public sector,” he said.
“I can assure you if all of us get our services from the public sector, the absent professionals, the ghost professionals who are running their private practices, the attitudes of health professionals towards patients, the absence of drugs, the absence of services and lack of equipment will stop.
“If our lives are on the line, we will ensure the public health system works. What we need to do is fix what we have. The key priority should be to fix the public health system, and we should go there for our services.”
Letlape said MPs should lead by example.
“Healthcare is in crisis in our country, and it requires proper leadership from the National Assembly. We need to ensure we pledge solidarity with the people who voted us to power by committing to obtain our health services from the public sector as public office bearers who lead by example. We should be the ones to lead where we want the society to go.
“There will be no greater incentive to ensure proper oversight throughout the public health system than by obtaining our personal health services with the people so we truly become a government of the people by the people.”
Most South Africans rely on public healthcare facilities, and only a minority can afford to pay for private healthcare.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill on May 15, saying it was a good move for citizens to receive good healthcare.
Though the bill has faced significant opposition, health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the NHI would end inequality in the health system.
“There is no debate at all that South Africa is the most unequal society in the world. If you want to see what inequality means, come to the health sector. Within the borders of the same country, some are getting world-class healthcare while others get such poor healthcare you may believe we live in different countries,” he said.
“We can no longer, with our eyes open, sustain such gross inequality. If there is something we can do about it, we must do it now, and not in some distant ill-defined future. Honourable members, the time for change has arrived. We will have to start implementing the NHI in phases, as we are already in phase 2.”
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