NATIONAL NEWS - Various South African politicians and organisations have slammed the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) regulations published last week as vague and not addressing major aspects of concern.
Omissions by the Department of Health include how the NHI will be funded, how much tax payers will have to pay towards the fund and a workable framework.
The centralised, total power wielded over NHI by government through the national minister of health is also a major red light. Critics are concerned that government control of South African health care may lead, amongst other things, to massive fraud and misuse of funds.
The proposed regulations focus on the composition and duties of ad hoc advisory committees, standards, scoring tools, performance policies and working procedures and gives the national Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi the final power to appoint the NHI board. People have until 6 June this year to submit comments and voice concerns.
There are currently four legal challenges instituted against the NHI Act.
The challengers are the Board of Healthcare Funders that represent about 40 medical schemes with millions of beneficiaries, the South African Private Practitioners Forum, the Hospital Association of South Africa and trade union, Solidariteit.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger says the proposed regulations offer even more evidence that the NHI scheme is an ill-defined, impractical and unaffordable proposal that will not address the immediate or long-term needs of South Africa’s healthcare system.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger says the NHI will achieve the opposite of what it aims to do. Photo: Linkedin
Wenger says while the Western Cape Government fully supports expanding quality healthcare to all, the NHI will instead weaken healthcare in the country.
“These regulations take us one step closer to single, centralised fund that carries gigantic risks for governance, and for our health and wellbeing.
"At the same time, the actual costs of the NHI and a number of critical areas surrounding the functioning of the fund have not been revealed,” Wenger says.
"While the NHI seeks to centralise power, we believe that better and more accessible healthcare can instead be achieved through harnessing the strengths of both the public and private healthcare sectors, supported by academic expertise.
A rigid, one-size-fits-all system risks undermining already functional healthcare structures. In contrast, a more flexible model that actually addresses deficiencies in our healthcare system will deliver better outcomes," she says.
The Western Cape Government will provide comprehensive comments and Wenger calls on the public and all stakeholders in the healthcare sector to submit their comments before the deadline on 6 June.
To access the regulations and submit comments, click here.
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