The investigation is under way," said SAHRC Gauteng provincial manager Zamantungwa Mbeki. The report was compiled from 273 complaints received by the FF+ in response to its call for patients to provide it with details of poor treatment at public health facilities. Patients complained about 93 public hospitals and three private hospitals in all nine provinces. They painted a picture of horrifying neglect and abuse meted out to vulnerable patients by overwhelmed staff working in filthy, illequipped and underresourced facilities. "There are several integrating issues identified in this com plaint. And those will need to be broken up and individually assessed as some do not fall within the ambit of the SAHRC. We are structuring the investigation accordingly: Mbeki said. The FF+ said this week that conditions exposed by patients were proof the government's National Health Insurance NHI plans were doomed to fail. The ANC is expected to use its majority in the National Council of Provinces to pass the NHI bill next week. It will then be sent to the president for assent. The bill lays the legislative foundation for NHI, the government's policy for universal health coverage, which aims to provide healthcare free at the point of delivery. A central NHI fund will purchase healthcare services from accredited public and private providers. But exact ly what benefits it will provide and how it will be financed have yet to be determined. DA shadow health minister Michele Clark said the ANC government's push for NHI spelt disaster for the public and private healthcare sectors. "One only has to look at the current state of public healthcare in the country to predict the coming decimation: she said. "President Cyril Ramaphosa's term has been marked by ineptitude, cadre deployment and protection of the politically connected. He has not shown an ounce of care to the people of SA the Ramaphoria of his early months of governance is nothing but a fading memory. But he has the opportunity to do one good thing before he's voted out in 2024 ... do not sign the NHI bill: she said. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Probe: Zamantungwa Mbeki of the SA Human Rights Commission says the report details various allegations.

Source: Business Day