Conflict, Complicity, and Challenges: Reflections on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission Health Sector Hearing

Purpose This article describes the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in examining the role of the health sector in human rights violations in the protracted conflicts during apartheid. Organizing Construct The enabling legislation contained in the Promotion of Natio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nursing scholarship 2019-05, Vol.51 (3), p.299-307
Main Authors: Wildschut, Glenda, Mayers, Pat M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
African Continental Ancestry Group
Apartheid
Atrocities
Bioethics
Complicity
Conflict
Curricula
Democracy
Education, Professional - methods
Healing
health
Health Personnel - education
health professionals
Health promotion
Health services
Hearing
Human rights
Human Rights - education
Human Rights - legislation & jurisprudence
Human Rights Abuses - prevention & control
Human rights violations
Humans
Legislation
Medical personnel
National reconciliation
Nursing
Parliaments
Prejudice
Prejudice - prevention & control
Professional training
Public hearings
Racial discrimination
Racism
Rape
Social Responsibility
Social services
Society
Socioeconomic Factors
Soliciting
South Africa
Sympathy
Testimony
Tribunals & commissions
Truth
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Truth and reconciliation commissions
Violations
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Description
Summary:Purpose This article describes the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in examining the role of the health sector in human rights violations in the protracted conflicts during apartheid. Organizing Construct The enabling legislation contained in the Promotion of National Healing and Reconciliation Act of 1995 allowed for in‐depth examination of violations and complicity in human rights abuses. We provide an overview of the process of the public hearings, soliciting submissions, examining evidence of abuse, personal testimony of conflict in situations of dual accountability, and ultimately the recommendations made by the TRC. The article also outlines the responses of various health professional training institutions to the TRC's recommendations, the implementation of university health and human rights courses, and some current challenges post‐TRC. Conclusions The health sector hearings of the TRC provided a window into the structural unequal access, racial discrimination, prejudice, and abuse in the health services under the apartheid regime. Examination of past violations perpetrated by an abusive regime and by those such as health workers operating in such a system is imperative to ensure that these abuses are not repeated in the future. Clinical Relevance In delivering comprehensive, compassionate, and ethical care, healthcare professionals have accountability to respect and promote the human rights of their patients. Training in human rights and its relationship to health should be incorporated into all health professional programs.
ISSN:1527-6546
1547-5069
DOI:10.1111/jnu.12438