Issued by Ministry of Health
25 July 2005
The MEC for Health in Eastern Cape, Dr Bevan Goqwana had a meeting with the National and provincial leadership of the Treatment Action Campaign in Port Alfred today.
The meeting was aimed at discussing the issues raised by TAC in a memorandum delivered to the management of the Frontier Hospital in Queenstown on the 12th of July 2005 and to discuss the TAC march to the hospital planned for tomorrow.
The Department of Health explained to the TAC leadership all the issues around the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and AIDS in the Queenstown area and in the rest of the province.
It is was agreed that there will be further sharing of information between the Department of Health and the TAC on the progress being made in this regard including the process of enrolling patients into the antiretroviral treatment programme.
The TAC leadership made commitment that the organisation will comply with the conditions of the permission for tomorrow's march. In terms of the permission, the marchers are not allowed to enter into the buildings of the hospital.
The TAC leadership also made an undertaking to properly manage the conduct of its supporters, ensure that they do not behaviour in an aggressive manner during this protest and they will comply with the law in general.
Frontier Hospital is one of 16 sites accredited by the National Department of Health to provide comprehensive care, treatment and management for people in the Eastern Cape province who live with HIV and AIDS. The clinic has been able to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) to over 415 people living with HIV and AIDS.
Thus far the province has placed more than 6000 people on ART in line with the South African government's resolve to prevent the spread of HIV infection and to provide care and treatment for those living with the disease. Furthermore, the hospital continues to provide treatment for opportunistic diseases to all people living with HIV and AIDS.
During the initial TAC march (on July 12, 2005), the TAC did not advise the hospital management about the demonstration. Nonetheless, the hospital chief executive officer accepted and signed the memorandum.
The TAC marchers forced their way through the hospital building into the wards demanding an immediate response, even though their memorandum gave the 18th of July as the deadline. The CEO could not agree to the demands without consultation with the Provincial Health Department.
Hospital management, with the assistance of the police negotiated with the TAC for several hours to leave the premises as they were hampering the delivery of services. Everything ground to a standstill at the hospital for more than three hours. Patients admitted at the hospital did not have lunch, theatre operations could not be performed and patient's lives were under threat.
At approximately 15h00, it was realised that further negotiations would not bring any progress and the police dispersed the protesters.
While the Department acknowledges everyone's right to demonstrate, we have a duty not to put the lives of our admitted patients at risk and to ensure that the right of other hospital users to access care is compromised.
Editor's notes:
TAC leaders who attended the meeting were Sipho Mtati, Linda Mafu, Philip Mokoena and Portia Ngcaba
Contact
Sibani Mngadi, Spokesperson for the Minister of Health @ 0827720161 or
Sizwe Kupelo, Spokesperson for Eastern Cape Health Department @ 0835595202