By Johnathan Paoli
THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have joined in the outcry against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill describing it as misguided, disingenuous, and opportunistic.
EFF National Spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said the ANC was using an important intervention, which is supposed to give the people of South Africa dignified public healthcare, for political point scoring.
Mathys said the country’s public healthcare system has completely collapsed, with most public health facilities in a state of dilapidation.
“These facilities were built during the apartheid years, and all the post-apartheid government did was add poorly designed structures around facilities that were not built with the current population in mind,” she said.
The EFF said the COVID-19 pandemic saw pregnant women from maternity wards queuing for water from jojo tanks, and many hospitals not having dependable or drinkable water.
“Many public healthcare facilities have broken windows, non-functional toilets, and no practical maintenance plans, a situation made worse by consistent and irrational yearly budget cuts,” Mathys said.
Another issue for the EFF is understaffed hospitals and underpaid nurses and medical officers, in public health facilities.
“There is a shortage of medical officers, nurses, and community health workers, while trained and qualified medical practitioners sit at home doing nothing,” the spokesperson said.
Mathys said the only exceptions to this are tertiary health facilities linked to academic institutions and big hospitals built by the apartheid government. At present many public healthcare facilities are not suitable for operation and are not places of healing.
“The Competition Commission healthcare inquiry has demonstrated that the private healthcare sector is parasitic, poorly regulated due to ANC incompetence, and operates as a law unto itself. Subjecting South Africans to private healthcare under the auspices of universal health coverage is akin to leaving sheep in the care of wolves,” said.
“Healthcare cannot be sold for profit in a market, it must be provided by the government as a public good”, he said.
“The genuine fight is for a functional, well-resourced, and capable public healthcare system with competent and well-paid personnel, insourcing of critical functions, a clear and practical maintenance plan, and proper political oversight to eradicate corruption,” he said.
In response to the president’s signing on Wednesday, Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said the party would take the matter to court as it has serious tax implications for South Africans if the law is enacted.
“The NHI will not equalise our healthcare system. In its current form, it lacks the necessary investment to provide accessible and quality healthcare. The notion that individuals will seamlessly access private hospitals under the NHI is an intentional lie,” Steenhuisen said.
While the fiscal details underlying the funding of the Bill have not yet been finalised, Steenhuisen said raising taxes was inevitable to fund an estimated R200 billion per year to run the scheme successfully.
“It is more comprehensive in scope, more corrupt in intent, and more deadly in impact than BEE, load shedding, cadre deployment, land expropriation, and nationalisation put together,” Steenhuisen said.
He criticised Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla for being in charge of the fund, and predicted there would be a “brain drain”, with health professionals expected to leave the country in droves.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the party is disappointed by the government’s apparent lack of concern over the possibility of corruption and state capture. He said the NHI, despite being a noble quest, would expose the health system to corruption and would only make the problems worse.
“The NHI will NOT fix South Africa’s broken healthcare system. Instead, it will worsen our healthcare crisis and open doors to more corruption,” Mashaba said.
And the NHI Bill was misleading the nation into believing that they would be taken care of, according to RISE Mzansi leader, Songezo Zibi.
“We must not allow the ANC to mislead us into thinking the NHI is a silver bullet, we need healthcare facilities that belong to South Africans, and are at least 15 minutes away from each home,” Zibi said.
Meanwhile Minister Phaahla said he was not intimidated by threats to challenge the NHI act, and insisted the enactment was not rushed.
He denied claims that the government is incapable of implementing the legislation.
“We are in a democratic country and the courts are part of our democracy. So, we must be ready to go and present our case,” Phaahla said.
The minister cautioned medical aid users to keep their memberships active until the NHI is fully implemented, and admitted that private health insurers will be hit hard by the implementation of the legislation.
“We want to say to all South Africans that this is a process. When that is ready, you will be informed. When all basic services are covered, hopefully by 2028 and beyond, those announcements will be made. Please, don’t throw away your medical scheme,” he said.
INSIDE POLITICS
