‘Quality’ is sorely lacking

THE KwaZulu-Natal Legislature announced yesterday that members will embark on a programme “to assess the provision of quality healthcare” at various public health institutions across the province.

As part of the exercise, MPLs will visit and assess the state of readiness of pilot sites that were identified for the roll-out of the National Health Insurance scheme.

Use of the word “quality” in the missive must surely have been an oversight, unless it was meant to convey that the standard of healthcare provision is to be assessed.

Given the state of public health institutions, with near ceaseless reports of non-functional critical equipment, shortages of basic medical supplies and a lackadaisical approach to their jobs by many doctors and nurses, such visits are long overdue.

Unless these issues are ironed out, the roll-out of the National Health Insurance scheme will remain a pipe dream in KwaZulu-Natal.

With the media having reported widely on shortcomings at public health institutions in recent months, the oversight visits are long overdue, but welcome nevertheless.

Having seen the evidence for themselves, it is to be hoped that the MPLs will be frank in their assessment and take the action necessary to ensure that the most vulnerable are not forced to endure a sub-standard service due to their circumstances.