SAMA: South Africa not ready for another pandemic

This week marked five years since South Africa went into a hard lockdown, after the Covid-19 outbreak.

Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi and other experts in the field have warned that it will not be the last disease to lay devastation across the world.

SAMA chairperson, Mvuyiswa Mzuko, says the country is still grappling with many issues and has a long way to go before it can manage another pandemic.

He referred to Health Ombudsman reports investigating allegations of poor management at two hospitals.

 "The first one was by Professor William Makgoba, who was looking at Rahima Moosa Hospital, and categorically stated that the picture that we see at Rahima Moosa Hospital can be painted right across the country.

"But another report came in recently the current Health Ombuds regarding another hospital, I think it was Helen Joseph. It spoke of issues of management, leadership, and governance. It spoke of the dilapidating infrastructure; it spoke of shortages and everything else."

 READ: COVID Chronicles: The collapse of SA’s small businesses

Meanwhile, the adviser to South Africa's Health Minister says it's important for low-income countries to become self-sustaining.

Dr Nono Simelela spoke to Newswatch on the sidelines of the second Health Working Group meeting of G20 partners at Zimbali on the north coast.

Simelela spoke on the USA's move to cut aid to several countries, including US A.I.D. funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa.

" Many countries are almost fully funded by the United States, so those health system are probably going to collapse. We also have taken a knock as South Africa, although we buy our own antiretroviral virus.

"The systems that we were using to dispense the medication were funded by the United States, so some of the clinics have had to shut down. Some people will lose their jobs, unfortunately, but government is trying to block those gaps as effectively and efficiently as possible."