Monday last week, a large crowd gathered at Peppergrove Mall outside the practice of Drs Fred Oosthuizen and Dario Berenisco. It consisted of mothers, fathers and children of all ages who had come to thank the doctors who had helped them through pregnancy and birth.
Monday last week, a large crowd gathered at Peppergrove Mall outside the practice of Drs Fred Oosthuizen and Dario Berenisco. It consisted of mothers, fathers and children of all ages who had come to thank the doctors who had helped them through pregnancy and birth.
The doctors were rushed to the waiting room under the pretense of an 'emergency' where they were greeted with cheers, applause, champagne and cake.
While the mood was celebratory, the reason for the event was more sombre as it marked the last day on which the doctors would be offering obstetric services.
This practice was one of the last in South Africa to continue to provide private care to pregnant women. Many others have long since been forced to stop due to the rapidly rising cost of medical insurance.
Private practices in South Africa pay insurance fees to the Medical Protection Society (MPS) which, in turn, protects them from malpractice lawsuits.
The MPS, an international organisation, have raised their fees dramatically in the last year.
In order to be covered for what is deemed 'Very High Risk' operations such as childbirth, private practices wishing to provide obstetrical care must pay on average, R142,000 per year.
This figure is significantly higher than the R17,000 charged to practices who do not assist with such procedures.
Oosthuizen is a prominent figure in the Grahamstown community and, in the 30 years since opening his rooms, he has helped deliver more than 2000 children, both in his own practice and in local hospitals.
Berenisco estimates he has brought more than 150 children into the world in his six years at the practice. He spoke with regret about the decision.
“It's very rewarding work, it's challenging, it taxes your skills as a doctor,” he said. However the practice had no choice. “It's unethical to to take on work like that without insurance.
Recent settlements have become so excessive that insurance fees have to cover the costs, complications during childbirth can be incredibly expensive for all those involved, including the families.”
These events have placed prospective parents in Grahamstown with few options.
Pregnant women in Grahamstown must now entrust their well-being to state-run facilities such as the public section of Settlers Hospital or one of the three hospitals in Port Elizabeth.
Although doctors in Grahamstown are obliged to assist in a medical emergency one of many issues, according to Berenisco, is that over time, one's skills may become 'rusty,' leaving once skilled doctors unable to assist in a crisis.
Private doctors and surgeons across the nation have been involved in talks with the Minister of Health, Mr. Motsoaledi, however, these have yielded no results as yet. Oosthuizen mentioned that he had been faced with "antagonism" from young couples because of his decision.
He pointed out that, even if he were to continue providing the service to parents single-handedly, it would leave him unable to run his practice due to the overwhelming number of deliveries performed in Grahamstown – anywhere between 200 and 250 per annum. “I will miss obstetrics,” he said.
“When you commit to seeing through a pregnancy and birth, it's humbling how close you become with the family at the end of the journey, you see them regularly, you build life-long friendships. It really is a sad day.”
