By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health minister Joe Phaahla says the clip by the Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has been taken out of context. The NHI is not going to happen overnight, but only in about three years time.
Lesufi alluded in a video clip that after the May 29 elections, all patients, with or without a medical aid facility, would access “any private or public hospital for the best treatment, and the government will pay your bill”.
He received a standing ovation from his audience, with many ululating and clapping hands in anticipation of “free medical services” from both private and public facilities.
Phaahla said that the government will take its time to carefully and transparently implement the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme once it becomes law in South Africa.
He said that the department will continue to engage with stakeholders, continually assess and evaluate the scheme and regulations, and – most importantly – won’t rush through the implementation of the complex and highly controversial system.
Phaahla was addressing a packed auditorium on the government’s readiness to implement the National Health Insurance (NHI) at the Black Business Council (BBC) Summit at the Radisson Hotel OR Tambo Hotel, Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg.
He said once the “the act had been proclaimed” for the implementation of the NHI, there would still be a huge task ahead for the government to cross, which would include the setting up of a board and the appointment of a CEO.
“Once the act had been passed, it was placed on the president’s desk. The president is still looking for a pen to sign the bill into an act, and this is because the president is legally bound to apply his mind,” he said.
Phaahla said the government is committed to building resilient health facilities and that the NHI discussion has been under discussion for several years.
“We need equity and to close a gap in terms of equality and the access of good healthcare service to all our people, “said Phaahla.
The NHI Bill seeks to provide universal access to health care services in the country in accordance with the National Health Insurance White Paper and the Constitution of South Africa.
The Bill envisages the establishment of a National Health Insurance Fund and sets out its powers, functions and governance structures. The fund will purchase health care services for all users who are registered with it.
The Bill will also create mechanisms for the equitable, effective and efficient utilisation of the resources of the fund to meet the health needs of users and preclude or limit undesirable, unethical and unlawful practices in relation to the fund. It further seeks to address barriers to access.
Political parties and other stakeholders are deeply opposed to the NHI bill and have threatened to take the government to court if it is signed into law.
They say it will lead to disinvestment in the healthcare sector, where private and public systems exists in parallel, and damage South Africa’s already fragile economy.
There are also concerns that implementation of the bill will be undermined by widespread corruption and budget restraints which see the country struggling to fund basic services.