Readers’Views
Motsoaledi out of his depth on matter as critical as the NHI
If health minister Aaron Motsoaledi meddles with private health care, it will result in quality care being denied to all but the extremely rich, “Motsoaledi lashes hospital association for ‘fear-mongering’ ” (February 10).
He can argue his case as much as he likes, but the problems surrounding high health-care costs lie more in what it costs to manufacture and maintain equipment than the mere cost of doctors and hospital beds. Added to that is the fact that much of it is imported, and the value of the rand raises our costs even more.
I see us moving rapidly to a situation where it won’t be affordable to maintain cutting-edge diagnostic equipment, where things like hip and knee prostheses are unobtainable and where the few remaining pathology laboratories are swamped and unable to cope.
Motsoaledi might be a decent doctor, and he might have managed fine at a time when it was merely a matter of planning the ARV rollout, and staying under Jacob Zuma’s radar, but he’s out of his depth now.
This is too crucial an issue to be left to someone whose main aim is to impress a new president with his ability to make a plan, and too arrogant to admit it would be better to take 25 steps back, to a time when health care worked, and would work even better with the right tweaks.
Christine Cameron-Dow, on businesslive
The government has wrecked nearly every state-owned entity and has virtually bankrupted SA. Yet Motsoaledi is audacious enough to criticise the Hospital Association of SA for its negative comments on National Health Insurance (NHI).
It is public knowledge that the government health system is in a shambles. With the dysfunction of Eskom, SAA, the Post Office, Prasa and many other departments in government, there is no reason whatsoever to believe NHI will succeed. More so if it is run by the government. Quite the contrary. It is likely to drag down all private hospitals and render private health care dysfunctional.
Nathan Cheiman, Johannesburg
Send ’em Down Under
I have the answer to the Woolworths/David Jones problem, “Moir faces more David Jones woes as third CEO quits” (February 10).
Seeing as how Ian Moir insisted on buying David Jones and was presumably supported by Simon Sussman, I suggest that they be sent to Australia permanently to fix David Jones.
Then appoint a new CEO in SA.
John Sayers, Howick
Absent owners cannot be in touch
The big problem with franchises is quality control, “Who is rocking RocoMamas’ boat?” (February 10).
Absent owners cannot keep their fingers on the pulse or compete with owner-run restaurants where the owner is hands-on involved.
At the very least, franchises should send “secret diners” to their franchisee-owners’ restaurants to give feedback on food quality and service.
Furthermore, top management at the franchises should dine at their own franchise restaurants more often to give constructive feedback.
Wes SA, on businesslive