KZN Specialist Network to oppose NHI Bill on 'every platform available'

The final version of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill differs little from the original, indicating a lack of insight about the rolling out of an effective, feasible and sustainable healthcare model, the KwaZulu-Natal Specialist Network said on Friday.

The network, which represents the professional interest of more than 400 medical specialists, was voicing concerns over the bill after its recent approval by parliament's portfolio committee on health. 

“We acknowledge the inequalities in the provision of quality healthcare. Despite deliberating for more than four years and receiving detailed and constructive inputs from multiple stakeholders, the committee elected not to take the opportunity to make amendments that would enhance the bill,” said chairperson Dr Andre Reddy. 

After the “fiasco” of the Covid-19 corruption scandal involving senior government officials, another area of concern was the honest and judicious management of the more than R500m budget.

“The National Treasury has been silent on the issue of funding and management of the budget, the mantra that 'the rich will subsidise the poor' is naive and ignorant. The proposed single payer lends itself to abuse in a fertile environment.

“The idea of rebooting the entire healthcare structure to allow only services not provided by the NHI to be paid for by private funders displays no concern for the future of the country,” Reddy said.

Healthcare providers would leave in droves, he warned.

“Major multinationals will relocate to countries where their executives can easily access quality healthcare, as they do at present. The 'let them go' approach promulgated by senior NHI lobbyists displays a bravado borne out of lack of understanding and love for this country.

“Representing a constituency that provides healthcare in one of the most populous and poorest areas in the country, we need no reminding of the importance of the successful implementation of a system that delivers quality healthcare to all our citizens.”

More pertinently, Reddy said, the network noted there was a distinct lack of clarity of the role of private healthcare specialists in the model.

“Private specialists will play a key role in any NHI set-up, but to do this we need some measure of independence within the system to function optimally. We as an organisation are committed to the ideal of access to quality healthcare for all South Africans. 

“We do not believe this bill will achieve that and will join other organisations in opposing the bill in every platform available to us and simultaneously engage government where possible to find common ground around this important issue.”

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