Solidarity describes proposed NHI as unaffordable, unnecessary and unworkable

Trade union Solidarity has described the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) as unaffordable, unnecessary and unworkable. In their submission to the health portfolio committee on the NHI Bill, Solidarity says the country simply just does not have the money in the current economic conditions to pay for it.

Solidarity’s Connie Mulder told members that even the R33 billion for the so-called “watered-down version” is now no longer possible. Mulder says the real problem with public healthcare in the country is poor governance.

“If you look at just the AG findings on health departments, the fact that only the Western Cape managed in the 2018 report an 82% clean audit in the health sector with Gauteng second on 52% and after that, it’s Mpumalanga with 24% clean audits and no one else got above that. There’s a lot that can be fixed before we try to scrap the system and start over. And we should rather be focussing on those reforms that have been recommended,” says Mulder.

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