SACP in Gauteng calls for alliance summit on health
The South African Communist Party
(SACP) in Gauteng has called for a provincial alliance health summit after the
harrowing first round of the Life Esidimeni Arbitration process.
The SACP is calling for a Gauteng Health Indaba, which would include the African National Congress (ANC), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), to discuss the state of health services in the province.
SACP Gauteng Provincial Secretary, Jacob Mamabolo says the indaba will address issues plaguing the health department, especially around mental health.
''We strongly believe that the summit will provide the alliance with the rare and absolutely necessary opportunity to attend to the political economy of health in our province.
''It will also give us an opportunity to deal with the structural and institutional problems at the provincial department of health and most importantly, the challenge of providing mental health services to mentally ill patients.
We believe that a broader, strategic and comprehensive approach to the Health question should be found to avoid the repeat of the current tragedy affecting mentally ill patients. It is absolutely necessary to ensure that the alliance empowers families and communities to play a key and strategic role to care for mentally ill patients''.
Mamabolo says they'll be engaging with their alliance partners around a date for the proposed indaba.