Private, state doctors join hands to boost healthcare in Eastern Cape
What started as a Whatsapp group for doctors has blossomed into a network of more than 200 medical professionals from across the Eastern Cape’s private and public sectors, who have joined hands to share knowledge, support each other and collaborate in addressing future challenges.
A red carpet welcomed guests to a gala dinner at the inaugural Eastern Cape Medics Legacy Forum, hosted at the Olivewood Private Estate in Chintsa over the weekend.
Doctors, business leaders and government officials came together to pledge a new future for healthcare in the province.
Eastern Cape health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth welcomed the initiative and congratulated the doctors for forging the connection between the state and private healthcare sectors.
“There are lessons we have learnt from Covid-19, good and bad,” Meth said.
“We have seen how we defeated Covid-19 because of the support we got, not only from other government departments in the public sector, but because of the role played by the private sector, NGOS, traditional leaders and churches.”
Meth said two of the major healthcare challenges were a shortage of both financial and human resources.
“It’s a known factor that financial resources are not in abundance, which suggests that we need partners,” she said.
“The department has more than 42,000 employees but we still have a high level of vacancy.
“There is a lot we can work together on and partner to improve. Working together we can do more,” Meth said.
Eastern Cape Medics project manager Dr Peri Mbandazayo said the idea started as a “meet and greet” for doctors, but the platform soon grew.
“We came together and the response surprised us. You’ve got people from the private sector, from public service, from provincial and national government,” Mbandazayo said.
Mbandazayo said a webinar held on Friday attracted a range of participants who discussed challenges facing the sector.
“We looked at infrastructure within the public healthcare sector, with a synopsis of the challenges, we got the business sector to come in as our government is drowning, and they need help,” she said.
“By this time next year, we hope to have pledges from the private sector.”
SA Medical Association Border coastal branch council chair Luvuyo Bayeni praised the collaboration.
“A group of doctors from the Eastern Cape saw a gap and found that we have not been interacting among ourselves.
“They saw an opportunity for us as the Eastern Cape medical profession to contribute to the healthcare space of the province. As Sama we are grateful there was the idea planted and we fully supported it."
Thembi Matunda, of quantity surveyors company BTKM, pledged R100,000 and was the first participant from the business sector to back the project.
“I was very touched to see doctors in the province getting together,” Matunda said.
“We have a lot of problems in terms of infrastructure and human resource [capacity]. To see doctors in the Eastern Cape getting together, saying ‘we are here to support the community’
— that is the reason we want to support the initiative, to see that the institution grows from strength to strength.”
Dr Pelisa Mafuya, 67, from Butterworth, said: “This is the first of its kind. We have been looking forward to seeing each other and being here, but we haven’t met with some of the other doctors.
“We are dealing with the same patients a patient coming to a private hospital is the same patient that comes to us."