NHI will not fix broken healthcare system: BOSA considering legal action to stop the creation of a new ANC looting fund

15 May 2024

In a populist attempt to boost the ANC’s chances at the polls, President Cyril Ramaphosa made a huge error of judgment today by signing the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill into law.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) recognises that we have a two-tiered, highly unequal healthcare system. The public sector is state-funded and caters to the majority – 71%– of the population. and the private sector is largely funded through individual contributions to medical aid schemes or health insurance and serves almost 30% of the population.

Despite an approximately R250 billion annual budget, the standard of public healthcare infringes on the dignity of millions of South Africans. R 250 billion a year should be enough to fund quality healthcare for each and every South African, but due to corruption, mismanagement and nepotism, much of this budget is wasted. And as a result, millions of poor South Africans suffer.

Instead of fixing the well-funded public health system, the ANC has sought out an unaffordable scapegoat for its failures in healthcare. Even if it were a good idea, the fact is we cannot afford the NHI. The most affordable version of the NHI is estimated at R500 billion per annum.

Instead, BOSA has put forward the following alternatives to improve the standards and quality of healthcare.

- Auditing all hospitals and properly equipping them. If we use the current R250 billion budget better, we can build a quality healthcare system.

- Funding scholarships to top schools for students who want to pursue healthcare qualifications from a high school level.

- Filling all vacant roles in the healthcare system.

- Holding medical aid companies accountable for abusive practices and extortionate funding models.

- Rolling out 24-hour clinics in communities without access to decent healthcare.

- Ensuring every qualified healthcare practitioner is placed for their community service years.

- Developing legislation that ensures that all infrastructure and procurement is maintained within the Department of Health, and that all professionals will be employed and remunerated according to private sector conditions and through an independent public health employees system.

- Advocating for an oversight body - an independent Health Facilities Ombudsman - to be established to provide oversight on all facility management, and procurement of non-medical products.

- Establishing a Health Services Ombud to provide oversight on delivery of services - to work closely with existing professional bodies.

- Build One South Africa (BOSA) maintains that the NHI has little to do with health services and much more to do with creating a new looting fund for ANC cadres.

The theft during the COVID-19 pandemic – from PPE funds to “Digital Vibes” – showed South Africans that there are no limits to how far the ANC will stoop to steal public funds from the pockets of citizens.

Moreover, if this ANC government cared about public health institutions, it would not be challenging the BOSA-led court case that ruled the government must end load shedding at all crucial institutions – including hospitals and clinics.

Rather than working day and night to ensure our hospitals and clinics receive uninterrupted electricity, this government spent millions of rands of public money on legal fees to keep the lights off and retain the status quo.

Finally, once they destroy the healthcare system, these ANC politicians will not use it personally. Jacob Zuma and David Mabuza have already received treatment in Russia. Other leaders have done the same. Robert Mugabe died in Singapore after destroying the Zimbabwean healthcare system. And Hage Geingob received treatment in the USA.

When these politicians ruin healthcare, they don’t share the burden with you. They don’t use public hospitals. They use your taxes to get treatment overseas.

We cannot allow this new law to go unchallenged. BOSA is today conferring with our lawyers to consider legal action to stop the NHI in its tracks.

Issued by Roger Solomons, BOSA Acting Spokesperson, 15 May 2024