Healthcare in South Africa
Initially, convalescent soldiers provided to others whatever care they could, but around 1700 the first Binnenmoeder (Dutch for matron) and Siekenvader (male nurse/supervisor) were appointed in order to ensure cleanliness in the hospital, and to supervise bedside attendants.
[5] The discovery of diamonds in Kimberley led to an explosion of immigrants, which, coupled with the "generally squalid conditions" around mines, encouraged the spread of diseases dysentery, typhoid, and malaria.
[5] Following negotiations with the Anglican Order of St Michael, Sister Henrietta Stockdale and other members were assigned to the Carnarvon hospital in 1877.
[5] After South Africa left the British Commonwealth of Nations, the government nationalised the missionary hospitals that had served the poor.
The National Strategic Plan therefore promotes distribution of anti-retroviral therapy through the public sector, and more specifically, primary health care.
It was not until 2009 that the South African National AIDS Council urged the government to raise the treatment threshold to be within the World Health Organisation guidelines.
Although this is the case, the latest anti-retroviral treatment guideline, released in February 2010, continue to fall short of these recommendations.
For economically disadvantaged countries, such as South Africa, to begin using and distributing the drug, the price had to be lowered substantially.
This competition has greatly benefited low economic countries and the prices have continued decline since the generic drug was introduced.
[12] Following the end of the Second World War, South Africa saw a rapid growth in the coverage of private medical provision, with this development mainly benefiting the predominantly middle class white population.
Virtually the entire white population had shifted away from the free health services provided by the government by 1960, with 95% of non-whites remaining reliant upon the public sector for treatment.
[14] Since coming to power in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has implemented a number of measures to combat health inequalities in South Africa.
Although the details and outline of the proposal have yet to be released, it seeks to find ways to make health care more available to those who currently cannot afford it or whose situation prevents them from attaining the services they need.
The proposed fund is supposed to work as a way to purchase and provide health care to all South African residents without detracting from other social services.
[3] Because the NHI aims to provide free health care to all South Africans, the new system is expected to bring an end to the financial burden facing public sector patients.
[17] The South African Constitution guarantees everyone "access to health care services" and states that "no one may be refused emergency medical treatment."
Hence, all South African residents, including refugees and asylum seekers, are entitled to access to health care services.
[19] The Refugee Act entitles migrants to full legal protection under the Bill of Rights as well as the same basic health care services which inhabitants of South Africa receive.
[20] Although infectious diseases "as prescribed from time to time" does bar entry, grant of temporary and permanent residence permits according to the Immigration Act, this does not include an infection with HIV and therefore migrants cannot be declined entry or medical treatment based on their HIV status.
