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Timo Shihepo

Windhoek – The citizens of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are subject to high medical costs when they access health services in their neighboring countries, despite the promises the SADC Secretariat to standardize health costs in the region. SADC also has a protocol on health that states that member states should promote, coordinate and support the individual and collective efforts of States Parties to achieve a level of health acceptable to all.

But despite the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 1999, nothing concrete has emerged and foreign citizens continue to spend huge sums of money to seek treatment.

The status quo is in direct contradiction with the regional plans of regional integration, which will result in the free movement of people.

In addition to the universal medical costs for the region and its citizens, the SADC government has also agreed to eliminate the cost of oaming for the citizens of SADC. The goal was to remove deterrents from regional integration projects.

These noble initiatives continue to remain unfulfilled promises for the inhabitants of the region, while they continue to be classified as alien in their region. For example, in Namibia, a person from other SADC countries is required to pay around R 2,000 in case of hospitalization in a public hospital, and once this initial payment is exhausted, an R500 is required by day. In comparison, a Namibian is charged only once for the same services.

To use the intensive care unit (ICU), non-Namibians are charged R900 per day, while Namibians only have to pay R30.

The use of maternity and childbirth services will allow non-Namibians to spend 400 rand a day.

"One must pray not to get sick while one is out of one's own country and with the economy at home." Said an Angolan patient on leaving the hospital. Katutura in Windhoek.

In Botswana, while the inhabitants are accused of being treated in a public hospital, foreigners of the SADC are charged about R55 for consultation and over R200 for other services such as that admission and drugs.

A foreigner in Zambia is charged 600 Kwacha (R791) per day for admission, while a local will be charged less than 100 kwacha. (R131)

The situation is even worse in South Africa where the government has started sending overdue health bills to foreigners in their respective embassies because foreigners can not afford to pay these fees. The Southern Times understands that foreigners pay more than local people

According to reports, the Gauteng Department of Health is on a mission to recover 160 million rand from foreign nationals. The Gauteng Health Department confirmed that the embassies have received letters stating the amounts owed by their citizens. The health department owes service providers at least 5 billion rand, accumulated over two years.

Nationals of Zimbabwe and Malawi owe respectively the largest share of 144 million and 11.6 million rupees of unpaid health bills. Nigeria is third on the list, with 7.9 million R in unpaid bills

The practice of charging more foreigners than local for health services is also found in other countries of the world. SADC such as Zimbabwe, Malawi and Swaziland. at The Southern Times Acting Director of Gender, Social and Human Development of the SADC Secretariat, Lomthandazo Mavimbela, said that the regional body is busy looking for ways to standardize these fees

. the areas we are examining, namely how all citizens can pay the same fees for health services throughout the region, whether or not they are citizens of that country. She added that the SADC Secretariat had observed that different citizens paid different fees, but that this did not happen at the borders because of the SADC cross-border initiative.

Part of the cross-border initiative and one of the conditions of the Global Fund grant was that the SADC sign Memorandums of Understanding with the 12 SADC Member States participating in the project. 39, cross-border initiative.

12 SADC Member States are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, the Republic United of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. recipients, and the Member States, and to delimit the supply of pharmaceutical products, medical supplies, work permits and exemption from customs duties of the Member States.

Part of the memoranda required the officials of the 12 Member States to present the project, agree on the location of mobile welfare clinics at border posts, negotiate and obtain commitments from each Member State to support the financing and the efficient operation of these centers.

"At the borders, there is no difference the costs between the locals and those who visit.There are no problems, the problem is when you are traveling more to the l & # 39; interior of the country, "said Mavimbela. [ad_2]
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