The standalone healthcare service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is examining the feasibility of dedicated military base hospitals in two provinces currently served only by sickbays, a Parliamentary questioner was informed by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga.
MKP (uMkhonto we Sizwe Party) Mpumalanga public representative Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala, who has the distinction of being the first female flag officer in the SA Navy (SAN) post its 1994 integration in the SANDF, sought ministerial input on, among others, what plans are in place to prevent the “failing military healthcare service before it totally collapses”.
She was informed “in alignment” with SANDF Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya’s intent to reduce dependence on outsourced services and improve service delivery “a comprehensive assessment of regional military health infrastructure requirements” is being conducted. This, the ministerial response has it, includes military base hospitals in Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo. These two provinces, along with Gauteng and North West, were named by Litchfield-Tshabalala as being dependent on a “bursting at the seams” 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane resulting in outsourcing to private healthcare.
The Motshekga reply notes it is “inaccurate to describe the military health service as having failed” as SAMHS – the SA Military Health Service commanded by Surgeon-General, Lieutenant General Ntshavheni Maphaha – continues to deliver essential services. Outsourcing to private providers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal ensures continuity of care according to the Minister.
On KwaZulu-Natal, Motshekga’s response has it there’s been no study to quantify the cost of outsourcing military health services to the private sector over the past 30 years by way of comparison to building a military hospital. “The department has prioritised uninterrupted access to care within existing and operational constraints, relying on private providers while focussing on rehabilitating current military health infrastructure.”
Motshekga notes further “interventions to stabilise and modernise” military health services include rehabilitation of 1 Military Hospital, strengthening oversight of outsourced services and “assessing options” to expand regional military health infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.
“These efforts aim to build a sustainable, modern military health system that meets SANDF constitutional obligations” according to the Minister with the by now standard rider that developments will be “informed by affordability, long term sustainability and the necessary National Treasury (NT) approval processes”.
One province where there is concrete progress is Eastern Cape where a new military hospital – although not yet fully operational – is providing limited healthcare, including dental, to serving SANDF personnel at local air force, army and navy bases.
