PHM-Exch> People's Health Movement S. Afr - Statement on the Public Sector Strike

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Linda Mashingaidze linda at phmovement.org


*People's Health Movement - Statement on the Public Sector Strike*




The South African Chapter of People's Health Movement South Africa (PHM SA)*
supports the demands of public sector workers for a wage increase of 8,6
percent and a housing allowance of R1000. We call on the government to meet
these demands, and to negotiate openly and honestly with the workers'
representative in an atmosphere of mutual respect.



The strike comes in the wake of almost 2 decades of severe restrictions in
public spending, which have resulted in an escalating crisis in the public
health sector due to critical staff shortages, crumbling infrastructure, and
persistent inequality of access.



This dysfunctional health system has to cope with one of the largest disease
burdens in the world, with a shrinking life expectancy and an increase in
the number of children who die before their 5th birthday.



This massive burden of disease is underpinned by lack of progress towards
the implementation of the social and economic rights enshrined in the
constitution, and poverty and inequality as a result of neoliberal
macroeconomic policies, corruption and maldistribution of national
resources.  The  lack of sufficient adequate health workers also has an
impact on the sector, with the shortage of health workers at an estimated 80
000.




Doctors, nurses and other health workers work under unbearable conditions.
They put their own lives at risk when they provide services for patients
with dangerous infections such as multi and extreme drug resistant TB,
HIV/AIDS, and other infections in overcrowded health facilities. Their
stress is amplified by the fact that in many institutions it is not possible
to guarantee patient safety because of bed shortages, crowding and
inadequate facilities for infection control.   These concerns need to be
addressed to ensure that health care workers are able to play their role in
realizing the health rights of those who seek care from government
hospitals.


*
*

While PHM-SA strongly supports workers' demands, we object to some of their
infringements of patients' rights and their safety. In particular we call on
strikers not to do anything that puts patient lives and safety at risk and
to ensure access to  health services of  TB and HIV positive patients
requiring access, as well as of others requiring essential treatment and
pregnant women requiring emergency care.. We also note and thank the many
volunteers for assisting and ensuring a basic health service is provided to
those most in need during this strike period.



Spending on health remains far below the target of 15% of GDP in the
Abuja  Declaration
to which South Africa re-affirmed its commitment recently.For the
above  reasons,
we urge rapid finalisation of a minimum service agreement which would enable
health workers to undertake industrial action without endangering the health
and lives of patients. Ignoring the conditions of health workers will not
help to solve the massive problems facing our health sector. If we are to be
in a position to implement a national health insurance, we need to have
a fairly paid, well-motivated, skilled and committed human resource base on
which to affect health system reform.




*The Peoples Health Movement (PHM) is a large global civil society network
of health activists supportive of the WHO policy of Health for All and
organised to combat the economic and political causes of deepening
inequalities in health worldwide and revitalise the implementation of WHO’s
strategy of Primary Health Care.





 49 Arnold Street  Observatory

Cape Town, 7925, South Africa

Tel: +27 447 2024

Email: coordinator at phmsouthafrica.org  Website: www.phmsouthafrica.org
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