We need a health master plan pronto

Our health-care system is in a critical mess. It has been confirmed that we don’t have enough health inspectors to ensure that polony-churning factories are adhering to strict hygienic conditions to protect us from outbreaks such as we had recently with deadly listeriosis.

Listeriosis claimed the lives of 189 people. Some were pregnant women. Gauteng had the highest number of casualties, although authorities couldn’t confirm the figures.

Then we read of unborn babies dying in our public hospitals because of negligent nurses and uncaring health practitioners who allow highly pregnant women to give birth on toilet floors.

Then the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that we have the highest numbers of health-care workers who contract multidrug-resistant TB infections through their work.

Drug-resistant TB is prevalent in our country because people are not adhering to their prescribed medicine.

The WHO statistics show that South Africa accounted for 21% of the reported incidents and there are fears that the situation could be worse as many cases go unreported.

Surely the listeriosis outbreak has taught us we need to come up with a health master plan.

Hoping that things will blow away is not a solution to our health crisis because it is a health crisis indeed when those at the helm of our health services are always forced to be on the defensive.

We can’t afford another health crisis. Something ought to be done, quickly. 

The Sunday Independent