Independent pharmacists will sign Health Compact

The Independent Community Pharmacy Association will sign the Presidential Health Compact on Thursday. Two medical associations and a business association have so far indicated that they will not sign it.

Kgabo Komape, chairperson of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association, says the association does have reservations and its submissions were also not considered.

“However, our resolution is to support the Health Compact. We have been working on it for so long and we do not think it will be honourable to abandon it now. We are aware of the other organisations refusing to sign, but we have never met with them to find out what their bone of contention is apart from what we read in the media.”

Komape says the association believes that it could resolve the problems with the Compact by working together to ensure universal health coverage.

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Unilateral changes to Health Compact not acceptable for some

Business Unity South Africa (Busa), the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and the South African Health Professionals Collaboration (SAHPC), that represents about 25 000 doctors, all refused to sign the Health Compact in its current form, because they are still expected to sign the same document that refers to National Health Insurance (NHI) 25 times.

They were also not happy that their submissions were not incorporated at all.

Craig Comrie, chairperson of the Health Funders Association (HFA), says the backlash against the Second Presidential Health Compact is rooted in a broader concern that the unilateral change to the wording of the document contradicts President Cyril Ramaphosa’s previously endorsed spirit of collaboration.

“The Compact presented the opportunity for patriotic South African entities to work together with government on initiatives around accountability, infrastructure enhancement and human resource development, among others, to strengthen the healthcare system and the previous version which was focussed on these initiatives was wholeheartedly supported by private and public entities.”

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