Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2018/06/25

With concerns raised about the current state of South Africa’s health care system, doubt has been raised over the proposed NHI bill gazetted by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Dr Paula Armstrong of Stellenbosch’s economics consultancy Econex, said the NHI bill was brought in to the domain with the launch of the Green paper back in 2011.

“The latest version was released in the form of the NHI bill, and the public has three months on that before it can be signed.”

Armstrong says the NHI bill is a fund that will pay for anyone requiring health services in the country regardless of whether they belong to a medical scheme or not.

“It would essentially function like a medical aid, but will cover both the public and the private for all registered service providers.”

Armstrong adds that South Africans need to be aware of the gap between the public and private health sector in the country.

“The public sector is severely constrained, the sectors are not comparable.”

Listen to the full interview below: