General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) is demanding a substantial increase in healthcare funding, the nationalisation of private healthcare monopolies and medical aid schemes, an end to austerity measures, and the urgent implementation of NHI under community and worker control.
Union President Mametlwe Sebei, speaking on behalf of GIWUSA, expressed concern regarding the insufficiency of the R3 billion, stating that it pales in comparison to what is urgently needed to address the ongoing crisis in public healthcare.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi recently announced that R3 billion has been allocated to recruit medical practitioners and improve facilities, aimed at strengthening South Africa's beleaguered healthcare system.
Sebei remarked, "While any investment in public healthcare is welcome, this allocation is grossly inadequate to address the deep crisis in our healthcare system and realise the objectives of the National Health Insurance (NHI)." Sebei further lamented the impact of austerity measures, chronic understaffing, and crumbling infrastructure on the country’s public healthcare system.
"The time for empty promises is over. We will not accept starvation budgets for healthcare while billions are wasted on corruption, outsourcing, and elite privileges."
Despite the government’s renewed commitment, access to healthcare in South Africa remains fraught with challenges.
A significant portion of the population continues to suffer under substandard healthcare conditions characterised by shortages of medical staff and essential equipment. The Council for Medical Schemes highlights profound inequities in healthcare access, exacerbated by structural, economic, and socio-cultural barriers.
South Africa's dual public-private healthcare model further intensifies these disparities.
While private facilities cater predominantly to wealthier individuals, public institutions struggle to meet the needs of the majority 71% of the population who depend on an overstretched and under-resourced sector. In a 2021 report, Russell Rensburg, Programme Manager for Health Systems and Policy at the University of the Witwatersrand, emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive primary healthcare package that prioritises services for lower-income groups with the least access.
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