These services are provided by tertiary hospitals and the Eastern Cape only has three tertiary hospitals. Marginalised communities are the most affected as they have to travel for long distances to receive treatment and are at times turned away due to the health care system incapacity, especially with a high shortage of emergency medical services for transporting them in the province. Patients from marginalised communities have to borrow money for private transportation and fall into debt and are vulnerable to loan sharks. The Eastern Cape does not have a wide and active advocacy programme for organ donation to ensure that transplantation occurs to lessen the burden on the highly specialised service system.

Section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides that the state has an obligation to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of the right to access health care services, including reproductive health care. The South African Human Rights Commission’ (“Commission”) Eastern Cape Provincial Office (“ECPO”) has engaged with tertiary hospital management, staff and various civil society providing assistance in terms of health services to ascertain the challenges experienced in respect of highly specialised health services.
Subsequent to the engagements with tertiary hospital managers now, a high-level engagement will be conducted with the provincial Department of Health to ascertain challenges faced in ensuring adequate equipment and staff is provided, collaborative advocacy, education programmes and strategic plans in place to eradicate the existing backlog of providing services and to ensure equipment and staff capacity in the province.
The panel discussion is scheduled to take place as follows:

Date:   9th of March 2023
Time:   08:30 – 10:00
Venue: SAHRC East London Boardroom

Ends

For further information, contact the SAHRC Provincial Manager, Dr Eileen Carter @ 043 722 7828/072 638 9016 or email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Advocacy and Research Officer, Zukiswa N Mqakanya @ 043 722 7828 or email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.