Health - A fundamental right

More than 40% of all South Africans live in poverty, and 75% of these stay in rural areas where they are in many instances without access to health services. Government is committed to providing basic health care as a fundamental right.

The first part of the national health-care plan includes free health services at public primary health-care (PHC) facilities such as clinics, community health-care centres and municipalities.

The UCDP, in its efforts to make affordable health care more accessible to all, believes every patient has the right to:

  • A healthy and safe environment;
  • Participation in decision-making;
  • Access to health care;
  • Choice of health services;
  • Treatment by a named health-care provider;
  • Confidentiality and privacy;
  • Informed consent;
  • Refusal of treatment;
  • A second opinion;
  • Continuity of care;
  • The right to complain about health services; and
  • An effective, dependable and affordable health care system.

A UCDP-led government will ensure:

  • A properly administered health service which will collect revenue and co-ordinate its debts;
  • The strengthening and decentralisation of management which will address issues such as the management of hospitals' budgets, the attitude of staff towards patients, patient waiting times, and dispensary-related problems;
  • Properly qualified health workers;
  • Free medication to expectant women and children under six;
  • Reopening of closed clinics and ensuring that they offer 24-hour service;
  • Doctors and nurses who are committed and accountable; and
  • At least one doctor who is readily available for each clinic or a cluster of them.

HIV/AIDS

In terms of the Constitution, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), and the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act 66 of 1995), people with HIV/AIDS are provided with legal protection, and no job applicant or employee may be tested for HIV/AIDS without his or her informed consent. AIDS is classified as a communicable disease in South Africa.

A UCDP-led government will ensure that:

  • All HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families are provided with proper treatment, care and support;
  • Special attention will be given to expectant women in an effort to stop mother-to-child transmission;
  • Medication will be delivered to the sick through home-based care initiatives;
  • State medical aid will be available to all HIV/AIDS victims;
  • Intensive, co-ordinated education programmes – which will be followed up and evaluated – will be launched nationwide. These education programmes will strongly promote family and moral values which emphasise abstinence and faithfulness;
  • Sex education will be included in the education curriculum to promote self-respect, openness and responsibility in the youth. Strong emphasis in all education campaigns will be put on prevention; and
  • Accurate statistics will be released on a regular basis. Through research,monitoring and surveillance the success of our education programmes will be gauged and adjusted according to success rates.