Public hearings on the National Health Insurance Bill (NHI) will be conducted in the Western Cape this week.
The National Portfolio Committee on Health will be conducting public hearings in four regions – the West Coast, Central Karoo, Garden Route and the Cape Metro.
The first will be on Tuesday in Piketberg, followed by a hearing in Khayelitsha on Wednesday.
George gets a turn on Thursday and Beaufort West on Friday.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of the Provincial Parliament, Wendy Philander, says the DA fully supports the achievement of Universal Health Care for all South Africans but says the NHI Bill proposes a funding scheme that cannot automatically improve the quality of services or well-being of people.
She says the Bill is vague on the package of care that it intends to provide or how it will improve and ensure quality care. It thus lacks a clear strategy and ignores the importance and improvement of sound governance structures, required for quality healthcare services.
She has urged citizens to use the public hearings as opportunities to educate themselves about the Bill and to make submissions.
