A child in rural Limpopo has the same right to quality healthcare as a child in the suburbs of Johannesburg or Cape Town, writes President Cyril Ramaphosa for News24, after the successful separation of conjoined twins by surgeons at Mankweng Hospital last week.
Ramaphosa writes:
The complex operation demanded extraordinary skill and precision, and the achievement is more than a medical milestone.
It is proof of what our public health system is capable of, and a reminder that South Africa possesses world-class medical expertise, not only in the private hospitals in our cities, but also in public facilities serving communities that have historically been neglected and under-served.
It is also the visible outcome of sustained national investment in cultivating medical excellence, which includes heavily subsidising medical schools, providing study bursaries for needy medical students, and providing on-the-job training through the Internship and Community Services Programme”.
But for every story of excellence like Mankweng, there are too many South Africans who cannot access the quality healthcare they need and deserve.
Closing the gap between the constitutional promise of healthcare and the daily lived reality is precisely what motivates the National Health Insurance (NHI), which is more than a funding mechanism. It is a commitment, grounded in our constitutional values, that every South African will have access to quality health services without suffering financial hardship.
It is the instrument through which we will ensure that the skills and dedication on display at Mankweng are available to all our people, regardless of their ability to pay.
To realise this vision, we need sustained partnerships between the public and private health sectors, as well as academic institutions, medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies, NGOs and communities.
More should be done to share skills and knowledge across the public-private divide, as happens when private specialists contribute time to public hospitals. It means investing in the training and retention of healthcare workers so that public facilities do not continue to lose their best people to private employers or to opportunities abroad.
The surgeons at Mankweng did not separate the conjoined twins for recognition or reward, but because they understood their responsibility as health professionals. We owe it to every healthcare worker to give them the support, tools and working conditions they need to do their vital work.
The great achievement at Mankweng has shown us what is possible. It has also reminded us of what is necessary: a health system that serves every South African with excellence, compassion and dedication.
Equal access to quality healthcare must be the standard we set and the constitutional promise we keep.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Limpopo team separates conjoined twins in complex surgery
Ramaphosa says NHI still a realistic goal