Court battle against the NHI to continue unopposed after government misses deadline again

3 October 2024 

Solidarity has confirmed that it will continue to argue its case against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act before the court on an unopposed basis.

This comes after the government could still not come up with opposing court papers four months later. Solidarity now requests that the matter continues unopposed as the period within which opposing papers had to be filed has been disregarded repeatedly.

Solidarity served its court papers on the government on 24 May and agreed to the government’s request for postponement. According to Peirru Marx, Solidarity’s network coordinator of the medical professions, the state’s last opportunity to file its opposing papers has expired on Wednesday 2 October. 

“We are not surprised to see how difficult the government’s legal team finds it to formulate counterarguments. Of course, we believe they do not have answers to these important questions.

“How will they be able to afford the NHI, and how are they going to let the NHI work? For years, we have been asking for answers to these questions without getting any meaningful answers. We do not think the government can answer us,” Marx said.

Meanwhile, several organisations, including Solidarity, have drafted workable alternatives to the NHI which could help the government out of this predicament. Solidarity’s alternative to the NHI will soon be introduced to the media and the public.

Issued by Peirru Marx, Network Coordinator: Medical Sector, 3 October 2024