KZN premier says Covid-19 infrastructure could make it easier to implement NHI

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has said the infrastructure constructed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic could make it easier to implement the National Health Insurance (NHI).

Zikalala was on Tuesday conducting an oversight visit to Clairwood Hospital which is one of the quarantine and isolation health facilities for Covid-19 patients in the province.

He said the facility had cost R232 million and that it was a “long-lasting” investment, a “legacy project” which will still be in use post the Covid-19 pandemic.

The facility at Clairwood Hospital is one of three field hospitals, Zikalala said, the one was built at the General Gizenga Mpanza Hospital in KwaDukuza (Stanger) and the other in the King Cetshwayo District.

Zikalala said it was through the provincial government’s, and its relevant respective department’s “proactiveness” and “coordination” which resulted in the delivery of “these hospitals within a period of six months” which normally would have taken three years.

“And we want to inculcate that culture of speedy delivery,” he said, adding that it was hoped that the provincial government would build the capacity to in future deliver such projects which would see the state outsourcing less but and capacitated enough to deliver.

KZN Premier @sziks briefs media about Clairwood Hospital #GrowingKZNTogether https://t.co/CoFkX2B3eF

— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) August 19, 2020

Meanwhile, some analysts, however, have cautioned that the NHI is likely to fail, judging by the performance of state-owned enterprises.

READ MORE: NHI likely to fail, say experts

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