Better health care for everyone in SA and that without the NHI

8 October 2024

A draft proposal for an improved healthcare system that will take the pressure off the ailing public system, while increasing access to more luxurious  private care was issued today by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI).

While the debate rages on about the National Health Insurance Act which was signed into law by Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa in May this year, the SRI decided to not only put up a fight against the NHI but to also come up with constructive proposals and solutions of its own.

According to Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the SRI, there are several reasons why the NHI would be even more harmful than South Africa’s current healthcare system.

“In this proposal from Solidarity we compare all three of these systems: We look at how viable the current system, the NHI and our proposed system are. 

“At the moment, South Africa has universal healthcare where service and infrastructure are seriously lacking. In turn, the NHI was devised without the necessary planning and a budget for it, and should the government implement it, it would, among other things, bankrupt the state.

“For this reason, it was necessary to conceive a new system that would improve on the current system and the NHI idea. Such a system spreads healthcare financing among many other role players and can address the problem of the low quality being experienced in the public system and the unaffordability of the private system,” Du Buisson said.

In the draft document the SRI indicates how individuals would pay monthly less than in a country under an NHI system, while also paying less than the current system would require of them. All this while better medical care is envisioned.

Solidarity knows that the NHI is certainly not the solution to the problems South Africa is experiencing with healthcare.

That is why a court case has been brought against this unconstitutional, unworkable and unaffordable NHI system.

These court actions will cost Solidarity approximately R2,5 million, and for this reason we appeal to the public to support the legal battle as much as possible.

See the full NHI alternative as drafted by the SRI here.

Issued by Theuns du Buisson, Economic Researcher: Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), 8 October 2024