PHM-Exch> Fwd: [PHM News] PHM South Africa part of Campaign to Fix Health in Eastern Cape

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: PHM Global Secretariat <globalsecretariat at phmovement.org>


Over the last few months, following many reports of the deterioration in
the quality of health care services in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, the
signatories to the Campaign memorandum have been involved in consultations
with health care workers and health care users across the Eastern Cape. The
consultations have revealed serious problems in the system. Some of these
problems are not new and have been the subject of correspondence from the
signatories to this memorandum to the Eastern Cape Department of Health
over a number of years.

*CLICK HERE* <http://echealthcrisis.org/>* *to be referred to the campaign
website

In response to the range of problems that we have witnessed, the Eastern
Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition was established. It is a coalition of
organisations with an interest in the improvement of the health care system
in the Eastern Cape. The members of the Coalition are as follows:

   - Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)
   - Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP)
   - Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
   - South African Medical Association (SAMA)
   - Rural Doctors Association of South Africa (RuDASA)
   - Junior Doctors Association of South Africa (JuDASA)
   - Rural Rehabilitation South Africa (RuReSA)
   - Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM)
   - Democracy from Below
   - SECTION27
   - Professional Association of Clinical Associates in South Africa
   (PACASA)
   - People’s Health Movement (PHM)
   - Igazi Foundation

The constitutional rights of health care service users and staff to access
to health care services, dignity and life are being violated. The rights of
patients under the National Health Act 51 of 2003 are being undermined, and
the obligations both in that Act and in numerous policies of the national
and provincial departments of health are being breached. Failure by the
Eastern Cape Department of Health to attend to these serious problems in
the health care system is unlawful and contrary to its constitutional and
legislative obligations.

The problems identified require urgent attention. They call on the MEC to
develop a plan with clear timeframes that includes components that address
the items listed urgently to remedy the crisis in health in the Eastern
Cape. They demand a response from the MEC to this memo, including the plan
referred to above, by *11 October 2013*.
--
Global Secretariat
People's Health Movement (PHM)
Email: globalsecretariat at phmovement.org
Web: www.phmovement.org
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