The official passing of the NHI Act, which has stirred enormous debate, has the potential to be the most transformative health policy since our democracy – if implemented ethically, with the right priorities and the requisite organisational and health system capability, argues a group of experts.
Fewer than 16% the population has private medical insurance and yet 50% of the country’s entire health spend serves this tiny margin of private sector users.
Despite this, write Tracey Naledi, Krish Vallabhjee, Atiya Mosam and Mark Heywood in Daily Maverick, the public health sector, with the other 50% of health expenditure has still been able to ensure that 70% of the population has access to Universal Health Care (UHC) services.
Has this care been as quick and as excellent as we’d all like? No. But neither has care in the private sector.
They write: ….more