The proposed National Health Insurance is no more than a reshuffle of finances – and a truly bad one at that. It has nothing to do with improving the delivery of healthcare or bringing about operational efficiencies.
The National Health Insurance (NHI) roadshows currently crossing the country amply illustrate the horror ordinary citizens suffer under poorly delivered public health services. Additionally, we hear public health specialists and NGOs enjoining all citizens to support NHI: “We need NHI to fix our inequitable health system” is the usual argument.
But this narrative is a straw man argument. South Africa does not need the NHI Fund or any other form of revised financing structure. ….more