The Health Department says it won’t back down from implementing the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI), which it expects to go through Parliament by the end of the year.
Speaking at the Pharmacy Show in Sandton last Wednesday (6 March), Dr Nicholas Crisp, the deputy director-general in charge of the NHI at the department, said the Bill has been before Parliament for two and a half years, and that more than 100,000 comments had been received in feedback.
“We are ready to respond to the wording and strengthening … we are not going to backtrack on creating one health system; it is not on our agenda,” he said. “We know there are parties that have told us they are taking us to the Constitutional Court. We are certain that, if we are challenged, we will be fine.”
News24 reports that the DA plans to oppose the NHI all the way to the Constitutional Court.
News24 article – Health dept vows 'we are not going to backtrack' in implementing NHI (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Every sector presenting on NHI Bill warned of the dangers of corruption
Crisp says Health budget has to be bigger if NHI goals are to become a reality
Crisp: Payroll tax, surcharges on personal income tax to fund NHI
Poles apart: Starkly divergent views on NHI before parliamentary committee