Despite criticism from some social media users, Discovery SA went ahead with its hosting of the global Future of Health (FOH) Summit in Cape Town this week, at which some Israeli healthcare providers were participating as speakers.
The symposium, being held in South Africa for the first time, took place on Tuesday, reports The Citizen.
Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, director at the International Commission of Jurists – Africa (ICJ) said that hosting Israeli healthcare officials showed Discovery was “tone deaf and unconscionable”.
Also critical was social media user Ammarah Garda, who said the “FOH member organisations are diverse, but one that sticks out is ‘Ministry of Health’ – the Israeli Ministry of Health.
“In addition, the programme itself has various Israeli speakers who work at these institutes/centres. The global responsibility to boycott, divest, and sanction includes rejecting collaborations with those who are complicit/work in complicit organisations.”
Discovery told The Citizen that while it acknowledged and appreciated the concerns, “For clarity, the delegates from Israel are administrators and managers of the Sheba Medical Centre, not the Israeli Ministry of Health. There is, therefore, no direct involvement of the Israeli Ministry of Health in the FOH Summit.
“Furthermore, Discovery Health’s involvement is solely aimed at continued advancement of healthcare in South Africa.”
Against the backdrop of health system transformation in South Africa and collective efforts toward achieving universal access to care, Discovery believes “open dialogue and collaboration are essential to improving healthcare”.
“With the summit being held in this country for the first time, this was an opportunity to learn from some of the leading hospitals and healthcare organisations globally.”