Health sector unions Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) and National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in the Northern Cape Health Department expressed concern over the feasibility of the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Fund in the province.
Government gave the go-ahead for it earlier this week.
The Northern Cape health sector has a host of problems, including shortage of medical professionals due to budget constraints. This is despite the department receiving more than R4 million budgets for the 2018/19 financial year.
The NHI’s expected to give all access to quality and affordable health care. But questions are being raised about government’s capacity to execute a universal health system.
Northern Cape Health MEC Fufe Makhatong says: “The last time this department had an organogram was nine years ago. In terms of human resources, at least we managed to put a plan in place and that human resource development plan is informed by the needs from different districts, taking into account the capacitating of human resource component of all facilities into account.”
The pilot phase of the NHI scheme was implemented at De Aar Hospital. Denosa doesn’t think it’s ready. But Nehawu says the department should focus on challenges faced during the pilot phase.
Nehawu Northern Cape chairperson, Jacques Cupido says: “Many of issues that we’ve learnt they have not done in the pilot site and we believe that because of the budget that was allocated, for the NHI pilot site was implemented or used fully to ensure that the issue and things that we raised there, need to be in place so that’s why we feel lessons learnt from the pilot site must be used going forward.”
The procurement system is being blamed for corrupting the entire Health Department. But, the department says it’s more than ready.
Makatong says: “We have managed with phase 1 in terms of capacity in Pixley Ka Seme, which we’re working to take to other districts. In Pixley there’s no facility at this point that does not get a doctor at least once a week. In every facility in the district, in terms of the NHI requirements there’s a doctor available.”
Meanwhile, the Public Health Association of South Africa, which is firmly behind the NHI, says staffing must top the priority list.
