(3 Minutes Read)
The bill passed by lawmakers last year aims to provide universal health coverage to all South Africans. Being an election year the ascend to the bill is on the expected lines
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says it is just a matter of time before he signs a National Health Insurance bill into law. The bill passed by lawmakers last year aims to provide universal health coverage to all South Africans. Being an election year the ascend to the bill is on the expected lines.
Ramaphosa, however, did not provide any further details as to when this might happen. Political parties and other stakeholders are deeply opposed to the NHI bill and have threatened to take the government to court if it is signed into law.
The bill contains provisions for divestment in the healthcare sector where private and public systems exist in parallel. Opponents of the bill feel that it would damage South Africa’s already fragile economy. There are also concerns that implementation of the bill will be undermined by widespread corruption and budget restraints which see the country struggling to fund basic services.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/south-africa-to-have-more-nuclear-power-plants-top-meet-energy-crisis/
Medical practitioners are also not well disposed of with the bill. The South African Medical Association says it does not believe the bill will achieve what it sets out to do. Two business organizations, Business Unity South Africa and Business for South Africa, say that while they support moving towards universal health coverage, they have reservations about the bill’s design and implementation and have called for it to be sent back to parliament for amendments. The NHI bill, which will be implemented in stages at a cost of billions of dollars, is popular among voters as the country heads into a competitive election year.
