The SACP is lobbying its alliance partners, the ANC and Cosatu, to compel private hospitals to treat patients of Coronavirus for free and help in the testing of suspected cases.
This week, the secretariat of the organisations met to discuss the participation of the private health-care sector in the national effort to combat the spread of the pandemic.
In a draft document for the meeting, the three organisations agreed that the private healthcare sector, with over 40 000 beds and several intensive care unit beds, should be an integral part of the war against Covid-19.
“Whilst we recognise that the participation of the private health-care sector must be sustainable, it must ultimately and fundamentally be based on the national interest and informed by humanitarian principles, not driven by profit. Human life and the wellbeing of the nation must be placed before profit,” the document states.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo said private hospitals received operating licences from the state and should operate in terms of the laws of the country, including the national state of disaster.
“Given the government’s declaration of a national state of disaster in the midst of the Covid-19 global emergency pandemic, the SACP’s call is to the private health-care sector to either voluntarily or be caused through decisive state regulatory emergency directives to not demand payment for treatment of Covid-19 patients who are not able to pay.” he said.
The SACP’s call came as the number of people who have tested positive for Coronavirus surged to over 1 500 by Friday evening, with seven deaths related to the virus recorded.
Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the trade union federation agreed with the SACP on principle that private hospitals should not turn away Covid-19 patients who can’t afford.
“We are not far apart from the party,” said Ntshalintshali. Mark Peach, spokesperson of the Hospital Association of South Africa, said: “Private hospitals have been engaged with the national and provincial departments of health for some time to support government’s initiatives to address Covid-19, including making available beds and medical care for patients referred to the private hospitals.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the country needed a lot of humanitarian gesture during this period.
“This is beyond a call by our alliance partner. Both private and public facilities are central in assisting our nation to effectively deal with this pandemic,” he said.
