Reasons have ranged from the difficulty of integrating two very different existing systems to challenges with funding, but all criticisms of the bill essentially boil down to a belief that the execution of the NHI will be, at best, piecemeal and ineffective.
At worst, the implementation of the NHI could remove access to private medical coverage entirely, according to some experts, leaving everyone in the country reliant on the already overstretched and underfunded public health system.
These criticisms are not unfounded. History has proved that state-run kitties like the one proposed for the funding of the NHI are open to looting and mismanagement. In addition, governments are incapable of building entrepreneurial businesses, focusing on policy rather than profits. One just has to look at the Road Accident Fund and Workman’s Compensation Fund to get a glimpse of the complexities involved in managing such large pools of money.
The NHI financial process will make both these units look tiny in comparison to the number of transactions and volume of money that will flow daily through the system.
There are, however, centers of excellence,…..more