Solidarity hosts crisis summit
1 August 2018
The Solidarity trade union today said if the state should proceed with its decision to accept the National Health Insurance (NHI) despite the historic proof that this system already has not passed the test, it would indicate that the state’s ideological beliefs carry more weight than the well-being of its citizens.
According to Morné Malan, a researcher with the Solidarity Research Institute, government clearly is implementing centuries-old ideological points of view at a rapid pace. “This is evidenced by the NHI, expropriation without compensation and the recent decision to approach the Chinese communist party for advice on communication for the coming elections," Malan said.
Malan explained that the concept of national healthcare had failed all over the world, negatively affecting literally every health sphere where it was implemented. “National healthcare has even failed in countries that do not experience the same challenges as South Africa is currently experiencing with regard to corruption, economic growth and a small tax base,” he said.
Malan added that regardless of the positive message the state is conveying to its voters with all these policies to guide their lives in the direction of prosperity, the state has an extremely bad track record of managing large administrations and projects. “It seems that the worse the state performs, the more it tries to strengthen itself by means of unworkable policies,” Malan said.
“It is significant that the state’s solutions always are based on appropriating more power and capital to themselves in spite of their numerous and obvious failures. Recent failures at entities such as the SAA and other state-owned enterprises provide proof of this,” Malan said.
Against the backdrop of the uncertainty of the proposed NHI, Solidarity is planning a crisis summit on the extent and impact of the NHI to be held on 21 August. Prominent experts from the medical industry will address the audience and will cooperate to arrive at solutions for countering the enormous negative consequences the NHI will have.
Issued by Francois Redelinghuys, Spokesperson, Solidarity, 1 August 2018
