The Advertiser’s brief article unpacking the NHI makes the latter sound pretty good. Similarly, other media coverage, particularly TV interviews, highlights the positives of a universal health scheme.
There are, however, a number of major concerns that never or rarely get “aired”. My initial concern is we only hear how great the scheme is from government officials (who are obviously pro NHI).
Concern 1: administration and cost. Please step forward and inform us which SOE is run efficiently (without gross fraud and corruption) and does not require regular huge injections of tax payers’ funds to keep them afloat.
The NHI is a massive SOE – Eskom is a mere dwarf in comparison. Can you imagine how many billions will magically disappear.
All invoices will be sent to a new government department to settle. Anyone experience a payout from WCA? Or how about a small business going out of business owing to non-payment by a government department? What about amounts owed by the seriously bankrupt Road Accident Fund.
Concern 2: Have the health professionals’, doctors’ and specialists’ concerns been addressed? How can government tell them what to charge? Mass emigration of these skills is a certainty. Senior government officials don’t care.
They go to Singapore or Europe for medical treatment (commonly known as the “African leaders” trek). Is there going to be a problem with making a doctor’s appointment – say only available slot is in six months’ time?
Concern 3: if specialist treatment is required and the specialist is not contracted to the NHI it means besides contributing to NHI, additional medical-aid cover needs to be sourced, essentially a double cost.
Therefore, some faceless government-appointed official decides whether the scheme will pay for X or Y procedure.
All very well blithely saying public health facilities need to be upgraded. Who is funding this?
The whole NHI is under the total control of the Department of Health – a typical poorly run government department.
There are many more concerns that need to be sorted out before the ANC rams NHI down our throats.
Everything the ANC government does is a major mess up. NHI is a destroyer!
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