Parliament, Tuesday, 03 September 2019 – The Portfolio Committee on Health had a joint meeting with Select Committee on Health and Social Services. The committee had an engagement with the Elders, the two Elders, Ms Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Prime Minister of Norway; and Mr Ricardo Lagos, the former President of Chile.
The Elders is an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice, equality, universal health coverage and human rights in the world. “It is opportune for us to come back to the birth place of the Elders, South Africa,” Ms Brundtland said
Ms Brundtland said the Elders group was established in 2007 and this move was initiated by the late former President, Mr Nelson Mandela. She said the late Mr Mandela said the world needs global Elders, to try and help overcome conflict, and fight for peace and human rights.
Addressing the committee, Ms Brundtland and Mr Lagos briefed the committee on universal health coverage and on how the system has been implemented in their respective countries.
The Elders informed the committee about the importance of universal health coverage and that a person’s economic situation should not disadvantage him or her from receiving the best quality healthcare. Mr Lagos said: “The right to healthcare is written in the Constitution but this is not the reality.”
The Elders said universal health coverage is part of the sustainable goals but this is something that in missing in South Africa when looking at the world today. Ms Brundtland said: “It’s nearly 30 years the country has had democracy and there is no universal health coverage, why has this not been fixed?”
The Elders noted that the NHI (National Health Insurance) Bill has been introduced and presented in Parliament. The responsible thing is to get the universal health coverage into legislation and reality, this is essential for the people of South Africa. They deserve the right to healthcare. The country needs and must have health and finance system that covers everyone.
Briefing the committee, the Elders said universal health coverage has to be a public system and have a public finance model. The Elders were of the view that if the NHI is not public, it will not be for all. The Elders said the public finance system should be based on taxation to directly serve the health system.
The Elders observed that SA spends 9% of its GDP on health and yet the health outcomes do not match the health outcomes similar to countries whose GDP spend is 9%. This is what the NHI is planning to redress, because 4.5% of the GDP is spent on 16% of the population and the other 4.5% is spent on 84% of the population.
Ms Brundtland said: “One should not be forced into poverty when one gets sick, one should not be led to financial difficulties when one gets ill. The right to health should be self-evident in every society.”
In his address, Mr Lagos emphasised the importance of strengthening primary healthcare in the country in order to have an efficient healthcare, as this is the system that has been implemented in his country, Chile.
In responding to the questions and concerns raised by the committee members, the Elders said it is a fact that investing in health creates economic growth and there is research to prove it. Mr Lagos said: “You have to discriminate to create equality.”
The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said issues that have been raised by the committee such as staffing, infrastructure, work ethic, and the distribution of medicine, are issues that will be addressed.
The committee said it is in support of universal healthcare coverage in spite of some of the areas of concern in the NHI Bill. The committee said comments from the Elders that the country should not be afraid to overhaul the healthcare system, are encouraging.
Committee chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said it is comforting to learn from the Elders who have walked this path, sharing experiences and lessons of the NHI with the committee.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, DR SIBONGISENI DHLOMO, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, MS MAURENCIA GILLION.
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