The DA to seek legal advice on the NHI rush job which seeks to nationalise healthcare
28 November 2018
If the ANC government continues to push through the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, without proper public participation and consultation - the Democratic Alliance (DA) will seek legal advice regarding the highly irregular process followed in revising the NHI Bill. This follows an announcement by presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko that the NHI Bill will be tabled before cabinet next week.
Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi is more determined than ever to push through the National Health Insurance scam, by side-stepping public participation processes and consultation with Treasury and Health Department officials. The Minister’s backdoor dealings subsequent to the closure of public comment period, effectively mutes any input from the public, as the proposed changes are substantive, and the public and other stakeholders have not had an opportunity to raise their concerns.
The NHI Bill in its original form and even more so in this revised form will do nothing to address the collapsing healthcare system. It is a blatant attempt to nationalise the private healthcare system and to remove funding and functions from provincial departments.
The wave of electioneering has clearly reached the policy development realm in the ANC, casting aside the long-term sustainable solutions for quick political wins, no matter the cost.
The DA has launched a plan for universal healthcare in South Africa, which we have titled Our Health Plan (OHP). We believe our offer is the most credible and workable option that seeks to ensure that no person is denied quality healthcare because they are poor.
The revised National Health Insurance Draft Bill should be made public and the public participation process should be immediately reopened. The dodgy revised Bill would put the needs of South Africans on the backburner yet again, the DA will not allow this to happen.
Only the DA has a workable healthcare plan that will speed up the provision of quality healthcare to all South Africans. Now is the time for change that builds One South Africa for All.
Issued by Lindy Wilson, DA Deputy Shadow Minister of Health, 28 November 2018
