The Risk of Swine Flu to SA Businesses

May 4 - Recent reports that Swine Flu could turn into a worldwide epidemic has had risk management groups emphasizing the importance of speedy interventions in the South African workforces.

"Business operations are driven by the status health of the work force," explained an executive at Aon, Dr. Brad Beira. "From a position of social consciousness, and to ensure business continuity, it is therefore prudent to put measures in place to support employees and potentially exposed communities in current times where local outbreaks can rapidly become global pandemics."

While Swine Flu is not considered an immediate threat to South African at the moment, Beira said that it has the potential to affect the country's workforce at a very fast rate.

"The diagnosis of Swine Flu has again raised our awareness of the importance of speedy interventions in health risks as they relate to individual health status and enterprise risks and the need for these to be managed in a considered, systematic manner," said Beira.

Naturally, some sectors of the South African workforce are more prone to infection than others, including those working in the food industry, as well as those who travel to other parts of the world, especially to areas where the flu is rampant.

The Regional Manager Healthcare for Aon, Andre Jacobs, explained how Swine Flu is dealt with through medical schemes. "Members of medical schemes must note that treatment of Swine Flu will be dealt with according to the rules of their medical scheme," he said. "Members suffering from flu like symptoms must seek professional medical advice. However, this does not apply to Swine Flu or flu, but to any serious ailment. Members travelling should also ensure that they are fully aware of what cover their medical scheme provides when they travel and whether additional cover is needed."