Fleeting reference to Aids
2004-02-06 11:16
Donwald Pressly
Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki only gives fleeting reference to the HIV/Aids pandemic sweeping the country in his State of the Nation address being delivered in parliament on Friday.
He says: "The burden of disease impacting (having an impact upon) on our people, including Aids, continues to be a matter of serious concern, as do issues that relate to the fact that many of our people including the youth,
lack the education and skills that our economy and society needs."
Meanwhile outside medical doctors and opposition members of parliament - including Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille - were protesting against legislation which they are arguing will set back the health sector.
The march has been organised to protest against the National Health
Bill - dubbed the Certificate of Need Bill - which will give government powers to
decide where doctors can operate in private practice and to curtail their
medicine dispensing activities.
Government's vision is to discourage a concentration of doctors in a
particular area.
Mbeki's government recently opted to provide anti-retroviral drugs and
state hospitals to HIV/Aids victims after years of public pressure from
public health interest groups.
- I-Net Bridge (News24)