NHI: Motsoaledi slams R1,3 trillion cost estimate as ‘mathematical hooliganism’ [VIDEO]

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi was at loggerheads with his shadow minister as he shot down a medical aid’s estimation of the National Health Insurance’s (NHI) cost while not providing his own estimate either.

He also refused to answer how much the NHI roadshow cost taxpayers.

The minister was answering questions in Parliament on Wednesday, with questions posed by Shadow Minister of Health, Michéle Clarke.

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Questions around NHI funding

The Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament asked, that as Momentum estimated the government will have to pay R1,3 trillion per year to provide each South African with the same quality of care under the NHI, how will government fund this and what will be the impact on taxpayers.

“Let me start by correcting something that is grossly wrong in the question,” Motsoaledi began.

“The National Health Insurance never made any proposal whereby each South African will be provided with the same quality of healthcare only under private healthcare, as your question suggests.

“What the NHI proposes is that all health facilities, public and private have to be accessible to all South Africans if and when their health needs demand it.

“But this must be done, obviously, in an affordable manner.”

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R1,3 trillion figure is ‘mathematical hooliganism’

Motsoaledi said the R1,3 trillion proposed was in fact the total budget of government.

“The publication of this number is disingenuous and deliberately speculated to anger the public because it will sound crazy for the state to introduce a health financing system that would cost the same or even more than the total budget of the country.”

He said the calculation was made by someone “practising mathematical hooliganism’.

“For those who don’t understand, it is similar to if a minister of housing stands up and says all South Africans need to have shelter. Nobody can challenge that.

“Somebody goes to Sandton… and you take the most expensive house in which a billionaire lives and you multiply it by 61 million people.”

He said the person making the calculation (Momentum) was an interested party that was making a lot of money from the health system as it currently stands.

He said the calculation also assumes the health department would abandon all public health clinics, health centres, ordinary hospitals, academic hospitals and general practitioners.

Instead, the viewpoint assumed people would only go to private hospitals. “How possible is that,” Motsoaledi asked.

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No answer on effect on taxpayer

Regarding the impact NHI funding would have on taxpayers, as determined by the calculation, the health minister said, “I cannot in my right senses investigate the impact about something that does not exist and is not going to exist.”

Watch the session below:

Shadow minister hits back

In her supplementary question, Clarke said that in universal healthcare everyone should have the same quality of healthcare whether at a private or public hospital.

“You are saying today that is not the case,” the shadow health minister challenged.

“Can the minister please advise what the massive cost of the NHI roadshow was, both in total and per region, the specifics of this funding within the department’s budget?

“And can the minister please advise under what section the budget was used, why were many civil society groupings and medical stakeholders not included in the current roadshow?”

She said President Cyril Ramaphosa had said there would be more transparency in government in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) and Sona debate.

“This exclusion has however raised concerns around transparency.

“Minister, your dismissal of valid concerns around the NHI is very concerning.”

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‘I’ve got the right to go talk to anybody’

To this, Motsoaledi said to Clarke that she must listen to what he was saying, not to what she wanted to hear.

“I never said people are not going to receive quality healthcare. Quality healthcare doesn’t necessarily amount to expensive healthcare.”

He said one would pay, for instance, R1 800 for a circumcision at a public hospital but R15 000 at a private hospital.

The difference is a problem, Motsoaledi said.

He said he was stunned that ministers were allowed to go “talk about anything with members of their society”, anytime they wished, but the NHI roadshow was being targeted.

“I’ve got the right to go out, talk to anybody about any programme of the department. That includes NHI.”

The minister turned around to face the crowded room, pointing at his chest as he raised his voice louder.

“Tomorrow there is a debate about the NHI. I am going there and I don’t owe anybody an explanation.”

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