SAHRC: Report Launch

Report Launch: Public Inquiry on the Right of Access to Public Health Care Services

The South African Human Rights Commission is launching a report on the Public Inquiry on the Right of Access to Public Health Care Services on 16 April 2009 in Johannesburg.

The report is the culmination of a public inquiry which the Commission held in 2007 to determine the state of public health care after it received many complaints with regard to poor service delivery in the public health care system in all provinces in the country.

These complaints highlighted the lamentable state of many public hospitals due to factors such a shortage of trained health care workers; a lack of medicines in clinics; lengthy waiting periods that patients endure before receiving treatment; poor infrastructure; a disregard for patients’ rights, a shortage of ambulance services and poor hospital management.

As part of this inquiry the Commission visited about 100 health care institutions at national and provincial level, where interviews were conducted with health care professionals and patients. This was followed by a public hearing where  approximately 59 written submissions were received from a wide variety of stakeholders including government departments and various individuals and groups within the health sector such as health professionals, training and regulatory individuals or groups; management institutions; children; women; people with physical or mental disabilities, domestic workers; refugees, gay and lesbian communities; older persons; people living with HIV and AIDS, health care users and private sector organisations.

Date: 16 April 2009

Time: 10h00 – 13h00

Venue: SAHRC House, Cnr St Andrews and York Streets, Parktown

Contact Person: Vincent Moaga, 072 562 9866

For more information on SAHRC, click here.