So. I don't think I have told you about Disability Grants have I?
In SA there is basically no employment benefit. In some areas unemployment is over 40% so it is an economic impossibility I suppose. Instead there are Disability Grants. The intention is laudable enough: give those with TB or advanced HIV money to eat, give those with diabetes or chronic illnesses money to get to clinic. But of course in practice the grants are an incentive to be ill. Until very recently we were supposed only to give HIV patients grants if their CD4 count was under 200. So, once on ARVs if their CD4 rose above 200 they would stop taking their medication in order to maintain their eligibility. When diagnosing TB the production of sputum is supposed to be witnessed - there have been black markets in TB-positive sputum, with patients selling their sputum to uninfected people so they can get treatment and therefore money.
So each Wednesday we sit with the social worker and work through 20 people with "disabilities" - ranging from the genuine "my eye is missing" to the perfectly well lady with "total body pain".
Apparently last weekend some local politician came to Hlabisa town. He spoke to a big meeting and told the people all about Disability Grants. He said if you have high blood pressure, if you have diabetes, if you have arthritis, if you have basically anything you can get a grant. So go to your local hospital and get a grant!
When the doctors turned up on Monday there were over 200 people outside the gate demanding their grants - most it has to be said looking intimidatingly undisabled.
In SA there is basically no employment benefit. In some areas unemployment is over 40% so it is an economic impossibility I suppose. Instead there are Disability Grants. The intention is laudable enough: give those with TB or advanced HIV money to eat, give those with diabetes or chronic illnesses money to get to clinic. But of course in practice the grants are an incentive to be ill. Until very recently we were supposed only to give HIV patients grants if their CD4 count was under 200. So, once on ARVs if their CD4 rose above 200 they would stop taking their medication in order to maintain their eligibility. When diagnosing TB the production of sputum is supposed to be witnessed - there have been black markets in TB-positive sputum, with patients selling their sputum to uninfected people so they can get treatment and therefore money.
So each Wednesday we sit with the social worker and work through 20 people with "disabilities" - ranging from the genuine "my eye is missing" to the perfectly well lady with "total body pain".
Apparently last weekend some local politician came to Hlabisa town. He spoke to a big meeting and told the people all about Disability Grants. He said if you have high blood pressure, if you have diabetes, if you have arthritis, if you have basically anything you can get a grant. So go to your local hospital and get a grant!
When the doctors turned up on Monday there were over 200 people outside the gate demanding their grants - most it has to be said looking intimidatingly undisabled.
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