11 June 2007
Our Constitution provides that every person in our country has the right to
access healthcare and any health care facility. Over and above, it must also be
emphasised that every citizen of our country has the right to access emergency
healthcare services. In addition, the Constitution also provides that every
child has the right to healthcare and to access healthcare facilities.
Accordingly the Department of Health has a constitutional mandate to ensure
that these services are provided. It is for this reason that the KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Health is appealing that, as citizens of this province, we all
ensure that access to all our healthcare institutions is guaranteed. Our
healthcare workers, mindful of their responsibilities to patients, have worked
extremely hard the past few days in upholding this mandate. We sincerely
appreciate their commitment.
We are also thanking all the volunteers that are assisting us.
Our experience the last few days is that the lives and healthcare of the
people of our province has been compromised due to the lack of free access to
some of our health facilities preventing both staff and patients from entering
the facilities.
The Department is continuing its efforts to strengthen security services at
all health facilities to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. In this
regard the Department is supported by the South African Police Services (SAPS)
and private security companies. Ensuring patient safety is our moral and legal
obligation.
We are appealing to everyone, each and every citizen of our province, to
please do everything in their power to assist the Department of Health in
ensuring that patients can freely and easily access our health facilities. We
need the support of all citizens to be able to continue to render health
services.
We must always remember that health is a human rights issue.
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
11 June 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za/)
