scholarly journals Governance of the public health sector during Apartheid: The case of South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Melody Brauns ◽  
Anne Stanton

The healthcare system that the African National Congress (ANC) government inherited in 1994 can hardly be described as functional. Indeed the new government had inherited a combination of deliberate official policy, discriminatory legislation and at times blatant neglect. This paper presents an overview of the evolution of the healthcare system in South Africa. The structures set up under apartheid had implications for provision of public healthcare to South Africans and reveals how governance structures, systems and processes set up during apartheid had implications for the provision of public healthcare to South Africans.

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Lannegren ◽  
Hiroshi Ito

ANC would always rule in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), which has been governing the country since the end of apartheid in 1994, received the worst results ever recorded. The ANC with president Jacob Zuma received 54 percent of the votes, which is a considerable decrease from 62 percent in 2011. This election was a clear sign that the ANC is in trouble towards the 2019 elections. The party seriously needs to rethink its strategies and investigates why the votes are decreasing. Given South Africa being a key player in global governance and in particular a strong leader among the African countries, it is significant to understand this political turmoil, as it may influence the political directions of other countries in that area. With reviews of relevant literature, therefore, this paper analyzes the current political situation in South Africa, focusing on corruption and inequality. The paper suggests connections between corruption, Jacob Zuma, and the potential end of the ANC era. The issues of inequality describes more the difficult situation that South Africans are facing and can be connected to the desire for change. It would be interesting to further analyze whether South Africa would be ready for a multiparty democracy with a peaceful transition of power after the national elections in 2019.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna C. Meyer ◽  
Natalie Schellack ◽  
Jacobus Stokes ◽  
Ruth Lancaster ◽  
Helecine Zeeman ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Natalie Davies

Background Currently, chiropractic is not incorporated into the South African public healthcare sector despite its emphasis on the values of wellness and health. This is due to a poor relationship with mainstream medical practitioners, the construct of chiropractic education and its long standing isolation within the healthcare system within South Africa. The public healthcare sector in South Africa is strained. Low back pain is one of the main reasons patients seek medical attention from primary medical doctors. A growing body of evidence is now emerging which supports the role of chiropractic in post-­surgical rehabilitation and the treatment of extraspinal non-­pathological musculoskeletal conditions. Based on the findings of these studies, an argument could be made for the transition of chiropractic from a mainly private practice base to one that would enable it to reach to the wider population in the public healthcare sector. Aim The aim of the research study was to explore and describe the perceptions that chiropractors have about the integration of the chiropractic profession into the South African public healthcare sector. Method A descriptive exploratory qualitative approach was used to guide the study. In-­ depth interviews were conducted with ten chiropractors within the eThekwini municipality. The main research question for this study was “What are the perceptions of chiropractors in the eThekwini Municipality on the integration of chiropractic into the public healthcare sector of South Africa?” The data was analysed through thematic analysis. Results The main themes that emerged were the role of chiropractic in the healthcare system, the integration of chiropractic into the healthcare sector and the challenges facing chiropractors in the healthcare system. The themes and sub-­ themes were as follows;; • Theme 1 Role of chiropractic in the healthcare system Sub-­theme 1.1 Primary contact for neuromuscular medicine. • Theme 2 Integration of chiropractors into the public healthcare sector Sub-­theme 2.1 Relief of overworked healthcare workers. Sub-­theme 2.2 Decrease costs in surgical and medication use. Sub-­theme 2.3 Increased learning opportunities. Sub-­theme 2.4 Use of chiropractic in post-­surgical care. Sub-­theme 2.5 Need for pre-­surgical assessment. Sub-­theme 2.6 Integration facilitated by the Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA). • Theme 3 Challenges facing chiropractors in the public healthcare sector Sub-­theme 3.1 Opposition from medical doctors. Sub-­theme 3.2 Opposition from within the chiropractic profession. Sub-­theme 3.3 Inability to function as the primary practitioners. Sub-­theme 3.4 Unfamiliar structure of the public health care sector. Conclusion A lack of clarity on the identity and role of chiropractic in the public healthcare sector emerged from the findings of this study. Individual chiropractors, the professional body (CASA) and the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) need to engage in active roles in the integration of chiropractic into the public healthcare sector of South Africa.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Redwanur Rahman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that triggered the privatisation of Bangladesh’s health sector. Design/methodology/approach This study follows systematic reviews in its undertaking and is based on an extensive review of both published and unpublished documents. Different search engines and databases were used to collect the materials. The study takes into account of various research publications, journal articles, government reports, policy and planning documents, relevant press reports/articles, and reports and discussion papers from the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Findings While Bangladesh’s healthcare sector has undergone an increasing trend towards privatisation, this move has limited benefits on the overall improvement in the health of the people of Bangladesh. The public sector should remain vital, and the government must remobilise it to provide better provision of healthcare. Research limitations/implications The paper focusses only on the public policy aspect of privatisation in healthcare of a country. Practical implications The paper examines the issue of privatisation of healthcare and concludes that privatisation not only makes services more expensive, but also diminishes equity and accountability in the provision of services. The study, first, makes a spate of observations on improving public healthcare resources, which can be of value to key decision makers and stakeholders in the healthcare sector. It also discourages the move towards private sector interventions. Originality/value This study is an independent explanation of a country’s healthcare system. Lesson learned from this study could also be used for developing public policy in similar socio-economic contexts.


Author(s):  
Willem Oliver ◽  
Erna Oliver

The struggle for ‘non-white’ South Africans to eventually become liberated in this country was a very tough and bloody one. In the struggle the South African Native National Congress – later renamed to African National Congress – as a liberation movement played a decisive role from the beginning of the 20th century, as the mainstream churches failed in the previous three centuries to really contribute to the liberation process. However, the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Soweto serves as a good example of a church that did not look the other way during the struggle. This church assisted the liberation movement in promoting freedom for everyone,serving as the platform for many a politician and even, at least once, as a shelter against the raining bullets of the police.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 361-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis P. Krüger

Since the introduction of black economic empowerment (BEE) in South Africa by the African National Congress (ANC) in 2003, the impact of the legislation and its accompanying policies on the six major “PESTIS” (political, economic, social, technological, institutional and structural-physical) macro-environments in which businesses in the private sector and government in the public sector operate, has largely gone unnoticed or has been ignored. In an exploratory study using the “5 Star” research methodology, and with the aid of specially developed qualitative research adjudication matrix (QRAM), the impact of the ANC’s BEE policies on these macro-environments was investigated. Unfortunately, it appears that these policies have negatively affected South Africa’s political, economic, social/cultural and institutional macro-environments. Allegations of state capture and nefarious influences on government and ministerial appointments, poor economic performance and possible further credit downgrade to “junk” status by the international ratings agencies, increased prevalence of racism, hate speech and discrimination, and violation of the Constitution of South Africa and international treaties by the ANC government, paint a dismal picture. In addition, the coun¬try is facing unseen high levels of corruption, graft, fraud, looting, bribery, nepotism and self-enrichment in government, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and businesses. BEE can be regarded as the ANC’s “Achilles heel” in South Africa, and the political party should rather abandon this policy in order to stop the rot, and further deterioration, distrust and decay in the country’s most important macro-environments.


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