Highly stressed doctors are under pressure emotionally and psychologically and want an easier, better-paid life.
The ANC’s much-hyped National Health Insurance (NHI) project will be based on the National Health Service (NHS) in the Great Britain.
But, given the current chronic under-funding of the NHS and a bitter strike by doctors over pay and conditions, what does the future hold for our own proposed medical social safety net?
Does the NHS situation show that a public-funded health service, which is free or low-cost to use, has within its very concept the seeds of its downfall?
British governments – whether Conservative or Labour – have been accused for years of underfunding the organisation, with the result that patients now have long waits for ordinary GP appointments, nevermind elective surgery and there is immense pressure on staff.
On the other hand, in the US, President Donald Trump could bring further financial hardship to working people who pay for medical aid, as we do, by cutting government subsidies.
This will exacerbate a situation where the majority of non-business bankruptcies in that country are due to medical debt through what we would call medical aid shortfalls.
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In many ways, our country is already heading down that road.
Our story today details the exodus of doctors and, particularly, specialists, from the state to the private sector.
It’s easy to see why: they’re overloaded by both patients and paperwork.
Highly stressed doctors are under pressure emotionally and psychologically and want an easier, better-paid life… and who can blame them?
If the NHI is to succeed – and few, other than those punting it in ANC ranks, believe it has a snowball’s chance in hell – then there has to be a thorough overhaul of the salaries and working conditions of all medical personnel.
And bringing private medicine down to the level of state health will only make the exodus bigger and our professionals will go abroad.
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