South Africans flock to Chinese medical ship in Cape Town

Harsh winter weather, snow on Table Mountain and high winds have done little to dampen Cape Town residents’ enthusiasm for free medical care being provided by a Chinese ship currently docked in the South African port.

A financial crisis in one of Africa’s largest and most developed economies has left public services underfunded, with many people saying they can no longer afford private health care because of soaring prices.

The move comes months after the government signed off on a controversial new health plan that aims to provide universal healthcare to all people, but faces the threat of a legal challenge.

Since the Chinese ship Peace Ark arrived last week, more than 2,000 South Africans have received medical treatment on board, including obstetric check-ups, cataract surgery and cupping therapy.

China has a strong political partnership with South Africa and this is the latest display of soft power by Beijing.

Lucy Mnyani told local media she was delighted to see images of her unborn child for the first time: “I had been to the day hospitals in Gugulethu and Langa (town), but they never asked me to go for a CT scan.”

Another queue-holder, Joseph Williams, told national broadcaster SABC: “When you go to your local clinic you sit for hours before they can help you with your condition.

“The service was very quick, so I’m glad I came. I definitely got the results I was looking for.”

Officials said the ambulance can receive 700 patients a day and the service is part of a joint exercise between the South African and Chinese militaries. The ship carries 100 patients and has 300 beds, 20 intensive care beds, operating rooms, clinical departments and even a rescue helicopter.

During the first two days of the Peace Ark’s docking, treatment was provided to some pre-selected personnel, and it was not opened to the public until Monday.

“We work with night shelters to provide services to people who are living on the streets of Cape Town and do not have access to any health services,” Western Cape health department chief Saadiq Kariem told the BBC.

He added that elderly people living in nursing homes were also brought in for medical care and health workers from the Western Cape were receiving health visits.

“It took just one hour from registration to completion of treatment,” said Dr Karim, who himself went for a medical check-up and joined the queue as a private citizen.

“In our public health facilities, this may take longer because there are more people who need services.”

So far, 57 surgeries have been performed, a small dent in the province’s waiting list of 80,000 patients.

Located in the Western Cape, this province has arguably one of the best healthcare systems in the country.

“Most of these surgeries are orthopedic surgeries, cataract surgeries, and some tubal ligations for women who no longer wish to become pregnant,” Dr. Karim said.

Dr. Shuaib Manjela, chairperson of the Health Justice Initiative, said the Peace Ark’s welcome was telling: “It shows that the public health system in the province and in the country is not serving the people as well as it should be.

“You often find people waiting all day in clinics. Hospitals are facing huge backlogs, budget cuts and job cuts, which often result in people losing up to two days of work waiting for a simple operation,” he told the BBC.

The African National Congress (ANC) says its National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme will be a huge improvement as all services in public and private institutions will be provided free of charge – paid for by a central fund.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi insisted the plan would be implemented despite his party losing its parliamentary majority in May and forming an alliance with parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) that oppose some aspects of the plan.

The move will be a huge shock to the health sector, but critics worry it could lead to a large exodus of health professionals to work abroad.

The plan, which prohibits people from buying private health insurance to receive treatment, has been strongly opposed by private medical companies.

Currently, about 14% of the population has private healthcare, while the remaining 86% relies on overburdened public clinics and hospitals.

Last week, the Business Union of South Africa and the South African Medical Association refused to sign the so-called “health pact” – an annual agreement with the president that sets out how sectors respond to health challenges in the coming year.

The two groups – representing private industry and 12,000 doctors – are angry about the NHI in its current form, saying it is being imposed on them.

Dr Manjra said the NHI was a “noble idea” but he understood the reservations.

“We have a history of corruption and incompetence that threatens to destroy the entire health sector. It is estimated that in some cases up to a third of the health budget is lost to corruption.”

He said dealing with these issues within public health departments should be a priority.

South African military spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini told the BBC that the response to the Peace Ark had been very enthusiastic, with all parties highly appreciating the “attention and concern it had received.”

The floating hospital will depart from Cape Town on Thursday for Angola before heading to several other countries. This is its tenth voyage since it was commissioned in 2008 and has visited Seychelles, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique.

The initiative is seen as another step for China to increase its influence on the African continent.

Beijing’s trade with Africa has grown steadily over the past two decades, and Beijing has also become increasingly involved in the construction industry, including building large sports stadiums in several parts of the continent.