SANDF, union at loggerheads over military hospitals

Sasfu is calling for more hospitals military hospitals.(SABC)

The South African Security Forces Union has accused the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) of pumping billions of rands into military hospitals.

The union says the One Military Hospital in Pretoria has been undergoing renovations for the past five years which have led to patients being referred to private hospitals.

It says the SANDF should consider establishing military hospitals in other provinces to ease pressure on the current three serving the entire country.

“We are dealing with people who have an appetite to steal. We are dealing with people who are misleading the public, the soldiers, so we are therefore saying, the defence force should then stop to outsource. They rather take these billions of rands and begin to identify. Currently South Africa has got three hospitals, one in Cape Town, one in Free State, and one in Pretoria. We have nine provinces why then can't they look at the possibility of establishing other hospitals in other provinces, “says union’s national convenor Puseletso Molise.

SANDF spokesperson Xolani Mabanga has dismissed the union's claims as unfounded.

“The South African National Defence Force is an organ of state which is used to protect the sovereignty and the people of South Africa, as stipulated in the constitution. If they are aware that One Military hospital is undergoing renovation, then do they expect the hospital medical practitioners to reject patients when they come or are we wrong to refer them to any other medical facility where they will receive medical attention that they require?