By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
File: Health Minister Joe Phaahla. Picture: @HealthZA/Twitter
The South African Medical Association (SAMA), has commended the appointment of new Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla and Deputy Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday evening.
D”r Phaahla is a medical doctor who has worked in public health institutions in several provinces. This experience, we believe, enables him to better understand the challenges the health sector as well as healthcare workers face. We are pleased that he has been given this new responsibility by the President,” said SAMA Chairperson, Dr Angelique Coetzee.
Coetzee however pointed out that Phaahla faces an enormous challenges in his new role, and urged him to listen to the concerns raised.
“Our health sector is struggling, and our healthcare workers are physically and emotionally drained. We would urge Dr Phaahla to listen to the concerns of those closest to the health coalface and to work with them in resolving the current struggles.
“As always, we are willing, ready and able to provide our support to the new Minister, his team, and the Department of Health,” Dr Coetzee said.
Meanwhile the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), the representative body of healthcare funders, has welcomed the appointment of Dr Joe Phaahla as the new Minister of Health.
Speaking on behalf of its members – health funders, administrators and managed care organisations – Dr Katlego Mothudi, managing director of the BHF said, “The BHF has had several engagements with Dr Joe Phaahla and is pleased to see a healthcare professional of his experience and acumen appointed to the role of minister, given his depth of understanding of the issues that continue to challenge our country’s healthcare systems.”
Dr Mothudi noted that the healthcare challenges that lie ahead require an aggressively collaborative effort between all healthcare sector participants, to ensure the strengthening of our health system and achieve transformational reforms.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has taught all of us that, working together, we can achieve much,” Dr Mothudi said. “As the largest representative body of healthcare funders, the BHF will continue to work collaboratively with the National Department of Health (DoH) to support efforts aimed at tackling the challenges of Covid-19 and to ensure that we reach the 67% herd immunity target to prevent the rapid spread of the coronavirus and ease the burden on our struggling healthcare facilities.
We recognise that a lot of work also still needs to be done to address issues around access to quality, affordable and equitable health services for all health citizens, and we recognise that to meet these goals government cannot do it all alone. We all have an important role to play to ensure that we meet the targets of universal health coverage, said Dr Mothudi.