Aaron Motsoaledi | Radio 94.7 FM

The government wants to set up a National Health Program so that the entire population of South Africa can access free medical care. However, reality speaks volumes.

After an unsuccessful term as Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi was “redeployed” to another sector of the cabinet.

Under his rule, 143 patients died in institutions and hospitals such as Tygerberg, Baragwanath, Steve Biko, Far East Rand, RK Khan and Bongani, to name but a few.

This is the opinion of an informed observer in Pretoria, adding that the hospitals’ conditions are critical and describe them as “death institutions.

Doctors leave state hospitals because of poor control and questionable management. Nurses go to work in Eastern countries or in Europe.

Reports are now emerging that there is no money to hire nurses in Limpopo and 400 nurses are without permanent appointments in the province.

He says commission is on commission to i
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The national health department says it is against outsourcing emergency services. But with a grave shortage of ambulances, it may have no choice.
Just 1971 state ambulance vehicles are on the road nationally, a Bhekisisa survey reveals.

Health department guidelines say there should be at least 5 700 ambulances in operation — or one for every 10 000 people, according to standards quoted in the KwaZulu-Natal health department 2017 annual report. But with less than 2 000 actually functioning, there are only enough state emergency vehicles to cater for about a third of the population, data from provinces show.

A May audit of provincial health departments by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) found shortages of ambulances and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in several provinces.

In response, Bhekisisa requested the latest EMS vehicle and personnel numbers from all nine provinces. The Gauteng, North West, Western Cape, Mpumalanga,
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