Ramaphosa praises NHI at UN General Assembly, while doctors in SA raise concerns

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told global leaders South Africa remains committed to implementing the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI).

Ramaphosa was speaking at the high-level partnership for maternal, newborn, and child health event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US.

He said the NHI will have far-reaching benefits for the access to health services for women, children, and adolescents.

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“We remained committed to implementing universal health coverage, through the establishment of a National Health Insurance, which will have far-reaching benefits for the access to health services for women, children, and adolescents.

“I am certain that with the joint stewardship of the Global Leaders, supported by the partnership for maternal, newborn, and child health and other champions, we stand a far better chance of delivering on our promise to women, children, and adolescents across the world,” he said. 

Ramaphosa said this will allow the country to share the models being implemented and exchange best practices with other countries. 

Concerns and recommendations

Meanwhile, many raised concern over the NHI Bill at the annual Hospital Association of South Africa Conference (HASA) held in Cape Town. 

HASA is the representative body for the majority of private hospitals in South Africa. Its members include Netcare, Life Healthcare, Mediclinic, and the National Hospital Network. 

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SABC News reported Professor Roseanne Harris, who represents Business for South Africa, as saying the Bill needed critical amendments to make it work and benefit the whole country.

“What we are appealing for is for the NHI bill to make provision for collaboration between public and private so that this massive task of health reform can be something that we work on together.” 

Dr Aslam Dasoo, convenor of the Progressive Health Forum, said the proposed NHI was an inappropriate way of reforming the health system.

“There was a very good health policy from 1997 which was carefully curated which was put forward and it was summarily discarded in 2009 and we were offered this empty box called NHI which, if you would shake it now, would be full of rattles because nothing in it fits.”

Feeding fest for ANC

DA MP Michele Clarke said, under the ANC government, the NHI will be nothing more than a feeding fest for the politically connected.

Clarke said health minister Joe Phaahla’s handling of an alleged R1.2 billion tender corruption investigation in North West and his response to the DA’s call to place the Eastern Cape health department under administration was a “chilling foreshadowing” of a public health system under NHI.

“Numerous oversights to the province have revealed horrendous conditions with dangerous and unsanitary public health facilities, staff shortages, record-keeping challenges, medicine stock-outs, and much of the budget going to medico-legal claims. It is very worrying that the minister seems to tout the NHI as the province’s answer to their financial problems,” she said.

“Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has repeatedly stated that the country does not have the funds to implement NHI, and the province cannot rely on Phaahla’s pipe dream to deliver quality health care to the public. They need concrete turn-around strategies as a matter of urgency, not electioneering fodder that will cripple an already buckling public health sector.”

NHI introduced in parliament 

The NHI was first introduced in parliament in 2019, where Ramaphosa said it would increase the resources available to hire more health workers, therefore reducing waiting times at clinics and hospitals. 

“Contracting health professionals from the private sector into NHI will increase access to the services of doctors, specialists, dentists, physiotherapists, psychologists and others. 

“Through the more efficient allocation of health resources, NHI will improve access to medicines and equipment, reduce drug stock-outs, and improve maintenance of facilities,” he said.

The president said, once passed into law, the NHI Bill will go a long way towards achieving universal quality health coverage. 

Earlier this year, the National Assembly passed the Bill, and it is before the National Council of provinces for concurrence.