These organisations are misleading the public by claiming ignorance about the Health Charter drafting process as they were all invited and at least two of them participated in this process.

The worst hypocrite is SAMA. The organisation's public statements totally contradict the spirit of the two submissions that it has made on the Health Charter.

In addition to a joint submission as part of the Private Healthcare Forum, SAMA made a separate submission on 15 August commending the Health Sector Charter initiative and making additional inputs.

SAMA is one of about 15 organisations that have requested to make verbal presentation to the Department on issues affecting medical practitioners in particular.

The Department is making arrangement for these organisations to make these presentations.

TAC attended a stakeholder meeting where Health Minister presented the draft Health Sector Charter and extended an invitation to all roleplayers to make an input. South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), which is an umbrella body of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including the TAC, has submitted a written comment and is expected to make a (verbal) presentation to the Task Team that developed the draft Charter.

The Department of Health extended written invitations to the trade union federation Cosatu and its five affiliate-unions with interest in the health sector (Denosa, Nehawu, NUM, SAMWU, SADNU) requesting comments on the draft Health Charter. These organisations have not responded.

The fact that these organisations (Cosatu, SAMA and TAC) have not raised their concerns until the Charter drafting process reached this advanced stage suggests there might be an intention to derail this initiative, which is critical in the transformation of the health system.

The Department is satisfied with active participation and massive response that the draft Charter has received from health stakeholders. More than 50 written submissions representing the views of more than 100 organisations have been received from a variety of groups including various sections of private health sector, labour and civil society organisations.

We appeal to Cosatu, SAMA and TAC to stop misleading the public and join the rest of the health sector in engaging constructively with the process of developing the Charter. As SAMA puts it in its submission: "the health care system needs to be transformed at various levels to be more patient centred and medical professionals have a pivotal role to play in this regard."

The Department of Health is committed to ensure the process of drafting the Health Charter produces a document that enjoys collective ownership by all health stakeholders.

Enquiries:
Sibani Mngadi
Cell: 0827720161

Issued by: Ministry of Health
16 August 2005