Dr Letlape faces backlash for saying medical aid schemes are a ‘crime against humanity’

The Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) has hit back at Dr Kgosi Letlape after he described medical aid schemes as a “crime against humanity”.

Letlape‚ president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa‚ made the comment at a panel discussion on the National Health Insurance white paper last week.

HASA chair Melanie da Costa registered her disappointment at Letlape’s comments‚ saying in a statement that he had targeted a single sector while the entire health sphere faced challenges.

“Unfairly targeting one sector of the healthcare system that provides cover to millions of South Africans who are therefore able to receive necessary treatment while ignoring challenges like the debilitating shortages of doctors and specialists‚ the lack of infrastructure by which to produce the number of doctors we need‚ and the falling numbers of public sector hospital beds‚ is not helpful‚” she said.

She said that infrastructure and training shortfalls in South Africa were at the heart of the country’s shortage of doctors.

“It does not help to rearrange the deck chairs and to become embroiled in false debates about whether or not medical aids are a crime against humanity.”

The real debate‚ she said‚ is why are we not allowing private medical schools to contribute to solving the doctor shortage challenge if government’s already tight budget does not enable the funding of new training institutions.