Pretoria – A total of 4 800 medical health cards are expected to be issued to military veterans so they can have free access to health care services in different military health facilities across the country.
From 15 October to 4 December 2013, the Department of Military Veterans will embark on a major campaign, where medical health cards will be issued to military veterans throughout the nine provinces.
During the campaign, which will run under the theme, ‘Your health is our concern’, health and wellness screenings will also be conducted, where the veterans will be given voluntary check-ups for various illness as well as counselling.
The campaign will be officially launched by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at the Durban International Air Force Base on 15 October 2013.
Addressing the media on Sunday, the Director-General of the Department of Military Veterans, Tsepe Motumi, said the department was prompted to run the campaign after heeding most military veterans’ call for health care and the ability to access health services.
Motumi said the campaign is part of the department’s Socio-Economic Support Programmes, whose objectives are to provide healthcare and wellbeing support to military veterans.
“The campaign is also in line with government’s overall objectives of providing quality health services as well as building healthy communities. It is furthermore in line with the stipulations of Section 5 (1) of the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011, which amongst others … states ‘the benefits relating to military veterans are access to health care’,” said Motumi.
Motumi said the country needed the vital skills, experience and expertise that military veterans possess in order to advance the goal of consolidating reconciliation, social cohesion and nation building.
“Their health is very critical in enabling them to contribute effectively and efficiently.”
Who qualifies?
Motumi said qualifying veterans are those who are registered on the department’s database and earn an income of less than R300 000 per annum.
Letters have been written and SMSs sent to military veterans who qualify and will receive these services during the campaign.
“The list of targeted military veterans has been sent to KwaZulu-Natal provincial military veteran association structures, as well as other provinces. We are going to work closely with them to ensure the smooth running of the programme.
“Those who will be receiving these services should bring along their IDs, proof of income if employed or affidavit if unemployed, and the letter that they have received from the department,” Motumi said.
In this programme, the department is working in partnership with the South African Medical Health Services of the South African National Defence Force. They are also working in close partnership with the Military Veterans Healthcare Practitioners Association, an NGO of medical doctors that signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the department in May this year to provide professional services, including counselling, to military veterans.
Where to collect cards
In KwaZulu-Natal, over 800 cards are expected to be issued. From 15 – 16 October, the cards will be issued at the Durban International Air Force Base and on 17 October 2013, they will be issued at Bluff Sickbay in Durban.
In Limpopo, the military veterans will get their cards at Polokwane Sick Bay on 23 October and Vhembe Sick Bay on 24 October.
In the North West, they will get their cards at Mafikeng/Molopo Sick Bay on 29 October and at Potchefstroom Sick Bay on 31 October.
In Mpumalanga, the cards will be issued at Nelspruit Sick Bay on 6 November and Middelburg on 8 November.
Military veterans in the Free State can collect their cards from 12 – 13 November at Bloemfontein Sick Bay, Western Cape from 19 – 20 November at Cape Town Sick Bay.
In Gauteng, the cards will be issued at Thaba Tshwane Sick Bay on 22 November and Dunnotar Sick Bay on 29 November.
From 26 – 27 November, the cards will be issued at Kimberly Sick Bay in the Northern Cape.
Eastern Cape military veterans will get their cards from 3 – 4 December at Mthatha Sick Bay and East London Sick Bay on 5 December 2013.
The programme will take place from 9am to 4pm in all provinces. – SAnews.gov.za
