NHI INTRODUCED IN LEJWELEPUTSWA

“Healthcare is a human right; this is a widely accepted international principle. This right should not depend on how rich we are or where we happen to live. The right to obtain healthcare is written in our Constitution.”

This reminder was made by the director of government and industry affairs, Dr Nkaki Matlala, at an information session held by the Black Management Forum (BMF) in collaboration with the Welkom Medi-Clinic, last Friday in Welkom.

“The National Health Insurance (NHI) is a financing system that will make sure that all citizens of South Africa (and legal long-term residents) are provided with essential healthcare, regardless of their employment status and ability to make a direct monetary contribution to the NHI fund,” she added.

Matlala said the private health care sector has not succeeded in reaching out to many South Africans.

“But large numbers of our people continue to die prematurely and suffer unnecessarily from poor health. Treatable conditions are not being treated on time and preventable diseases are not being prevented.

“This is in spite of the fact that the government has tried its utmost best since 1994 to ensure that everyone in this country has equitable access to the necessary healthcare services. There are still serious challenges mainly caused by a skewed healthcare financing system. Without the NHI, the burden of disease in the country will not be reduced because the majority of the population, and the section suffering the greatest ill health, will not access good quality health care,” warned Matlala.

The NHI will offer all South Africans and all other legal residents access to a defined package of comprehensive health services. The state is committed to offering a wide a range of services as possible.

Although the NHI service package will not include anything and everything, it will offer care at all levels, from primary health care, to specialised secondary care, and highly specialised tertiary and quaternary levels of care. The benefits provided will cover preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services.

Matlala explained that it is important to note that emphasis will be placed on prevention of disease and promotion of health. The present healthcare system places undue focus on curing of disease and performance of procedures when people have developed complications.

He further allayed fears that the NHI will destroy the private sector.

“The NHI is not intended to destroy the private sector. It will actually make the sector more sustainable by making it levy reasonable fees. The intention of NHI is rather to make sure that citizens are able to use both the public and private sectors in such a way that they complement each other rather than one undermining the other.”

The BMF and the Welkom Medi-Clinic have been hosting information sessions on critical issues such as the NHI setting, for the past two years in order to arm the community and business people with knowledge on contemporary topics.

“We, as an organisation stand for the development and empowerment of managerial leadership primarily amongst black people within organisations,” said BMF Welkom branch chairperson, Lilly Moabi.

The BMF is a non-racial and a non-profitable organisation and one of the biggest leadership associations in the country. It was founded in 1976, with the purpose of influencing socio-economic transformation in our country to help enhance socio-economic justice, fairness and equality.

Currently the BMF has branches in all nine provinces; with the Free State provincial office situated in Welkom. The organisation has three spheres, namely the student chapters, young professionals and then mother body.