UDF-SA plea with Health Minister to accommodate the poor

United Democratic Front of South Africa (UDF-SA) has asked Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla not to leave behind poor communities in the administration of the new flu vaccine and implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

Letter to Phaahla

In a letter to Phaahla, UDF-SA national coordinator Jo Mboweni urged him to ensure information about the vaccination for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was made available in all official languages instead of only English.

Mboweni said UDF-SA had been alerted about the challenges already experienced by communities due to RSV and developments regarding the NHI Bill.

He said UDF-SA was concerned that the department of health was issuing statements on the virus in English, despite being “aware that the majority of our communities do not speak English as their first language”.

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Keep community in the loop

Mboweni said the government should keep the community in the loop about vaccination planned for the possible upcoming of flu and the people’s voice must be heard in the implementation of the NHI Bill.

“These unpatriotic acts by fellow South Africans are also causing divisions and confusions among the ordinary,” Mboweni said.

“We believe that the NHI might not be a perfect solution [very rare was a scheme of this magnitude perfect especially during its inception], but we remain in support of a NHI Bill that is aimed at transforming the South African health care systems.”