In Cape Town, South Africa, local residents are braving bone-chilling cold, snowfall, and strong winds to crowd the port where a Chinese ship is currently docked. This ship is actually a floating hospital offering free medical services to the people of Cape Town.
South Africa, one of Africa's largest and most developed economies, is currently facing an economic crisis that has strained the funding for various government services. Inflation has significantly increased the cost of living, making private healthcare unaffordable for many South Africans.
The floating hospital, named the "Peace Ark," arrived in Cape Town's port last week. More than 2,000 South Africans have already received medical care from this hospital.
The floating hospital provides a range of medical services, including examinations for pregnant and postpartum women, cataract surgeries, and cupping therapy.
China and South Africa have a strong political partnership, and Beijing is employing various strategies to expand its global influence. This floating hospital is a recent example of such strategies.
Lucy Maniyani, one of the patients at the floating hospital in Cape Town, told local media that she saw an image of her unborn child for the first time at this hospital, which made her very happy.
Joseph Williams, another patient, told South Africa's national television SABC that, "When you go to a local clinic, you have to wait for hours to get service, and the quality of service depends on your condition. But here, the service is very fast. I am grateful and have received the care I came for."
Officials report that the floating hospital can serve up to 700 patients a day. The services are part of a joint exercise between the South African and Chinese militaries.
The hospital has 300 beds, including 20 ICU beds, several operating rooms, and clinical departments. It even has a rescue helicopter. There are 100 staff members on the ship.
The first two days of service were reserved for pre-selected patients. Since Monday, the hospital has been open to the general public.
Sadiq Karim, head of the Western Cape Department of Health, told the BBC that they have arranged for nighttime services to cater to the homeless on the streets of Cape Town, as they are usually deprived of healthcare.
Sadiq Karim also mentioned that elderly people in various care centers are receiving treatment here, and he himself waited in line like other patients to get services.
Describing his experience, Sadiq Karim said it took him about an hour to complete the registration and receive medical care. This is significantly less than the time it typically takes to get care at government hospitals in the country, which suffer from a severe shortage of staff.
Despite claims that some provinces in South Africa have good healthcare systems, Western Cape is among them.
So far, 57 surgeries have been performed at the floating hospital in South Africa. Nearly 80,000 people from across the province are waiting for various types of medical care.
Medical officer Sadiq Karim said most of the patients are orthopedic cases, with a significant number needing cataract surgery. Some women are also seeking permanent sterilization because they do not want more children.
The Peace Ark's medical services have become popular among local people. Dr. Shuayb Manjara, head of the Health Justice Initiative, commented that the province, and even the entire country, does not have the public health system it should have. The hospital's popularity reflects this issue.
Dr. Shuayb Manjara told the BBC that people often spend all day waiting at clinics to get medical care, and hospitals are overcrowded due to budget cuts and staff shortages. As a result, people have to spend a lot of time at hospitals for basic services.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa claims that the implementation of their national health insurance scheme would greatly improve the country’s public and private healthcare systems and eventually make healthcare free, funded by central funds. However, the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in the May elections, leading to the need to consider coalition partners' views.
Despite objections from coalition partner Democratic Alliance (DA) regarding some aspects of the national health insurance, South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi remains optimistic about its implementation.
If it occurs, it could bring significant changes to South Africa's healthcare sector. However, critics fear that this could put pressure on medical professionals, potentially leading them to seek employment abroad.
Private companies in the country’s healthcare sector have already strongly opposed this insurance scheme, as it would prevent people from purchasing private insurance for medical care.
Currently, 14% of South Africans use private healthcare, while the remaining 86% rely on public clinics and hospitals.
.jpeg)
0 Comments