By Akani Nkuna
ActionSA has announced plans to table the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme (PARMED) Amendment Bill in Parliament, seeking to compel Members of Parliament (MPs) and public office bearers to use public healthcare services.
In a statement on Tuesday, ActionSA MP Dr Kgosi Letlape said the proposal is aimed at ensuring public representatives experience the same conditions of neglect and inadequate care that ordinary South Africans face daily.
“This intervention represents the first step in ActionSA’s broader mission to ensure that public representatives experience the same realities as the people they serve – starting with public healthcare,” Letlape said.
“For far too long, MPs and other office bearers have been shielded by an exclusive medical aid scheme, insulated from the daily struggles of millions who rely on collapsing public healthcare services.”
The Bill proposes making PARMED optional, rather than mandatory for MPs. Letlape argued that this would
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