Cosatu is opportunistic

Cosatu is disingenuous in its attack on Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. Dr Motsoaledi didn’t create dysfunctional public healthcare and an unaffordable private health system. In fact, Cosatu and its affiliated unions are partly to blame. Only last week they caused havoc at Charlotte Maxeke academic hospital. No apologies offered.

Cosatu is opportunistic in exploiting social ills to benefit itself. It did the same with former president Jacob Zuma. Cosatu chased Zwelinzima Vavi out of the union when he was a thorn in Zuma’s side, yet when the public outrage against Zuma increased Cosatu dumped him.

The truth is that our healthcare system has been dysfunctional for a long time, and we won’t fix it by throwing stones.

We all can rebuild our health system to reflect the constitutional ideals — accessibility, affordability, human dignity and respect. It is doable if we give Motsoaledi total control of provincial health departments. Look at the mess in the Eastern Cape, the North West, KwaZuluNatal, Northern Cape and Free State. Provincial health departments are considered political ATMs to ANC factions.

Secondly, please appoint a surgeon-general whose sole responsibility is clinical so that Motsoaledi can focus on administration.

Thirdly, we must strengthen primary healthcare to take the load off secondary and tertiary centres. Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha and Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley can be the country’s primary care specialist centres. Lastly, remove unions from healthcare so there are no more strikes. It is too easy to destroy, but difficult to build.

Dr Lucas Ntyintyane

Via e-mail