Stock Photo (Photo: StockSnap, Pixabay)
Solidarity will continue to sue the government and the Department of Health if the Bill on the National Health Insurance (NHI) be finally accepted. Solidarity’s reaction follows after the bill was accepted by the portfolio committee on health yesterday.
Solidarity already successfully approached the court in June 2022 when articles 36 to 40 of this legislation were declared unconstitutional. Furthermore, from the initial publication of this bill, Solidarity actively participated in the public processes by submitting comments as well as making presentations in parliament.
“The acceptance of the NGV is strongly condemned by Solidarity,” says Peirru Marx, network coordinator of the medical sector at Solidarity. “In the run-up to next year’s election, and in order to garner cheap votes, the ANC government insists on pushing through this law while they are fully aware that their own system cannot support it.
“They are leading South Africans astray with statements that the NGV will promote health care in South Africa, while they conceal the fact that health care is already available to all South Africans, but that the officials in charge of managing these essential services do not have the political will willing to do what is necessary to improve the quality that health services must deliver.”
According to Marx, the government should use its budget for health more effectively to correct the current system and apply better management in state institutions, rather than hijacking the private sector and forcing them to try to cover up its failure in the medical sector.
“The implementation of the NGV is undoubtedly leading to a disaster in the medical sector. The government simply cannot be trusted. Their history of abuse of power, mismanagement and corruption will undoubtedly compromise the quality of medical care. We are also concerned about the number of health practitioners who have indicated that they will not work in these circumstances. There is also prevailing concern about the complete collapse of the free market that the NGV will have as a result in this sector,” argues Marx.
“Solidarity is already meeting with its legal team and will immediately take action if the NGV is finally approved. We will not stand by as our health practitioners are handed over to the government. We will not stand still while ordinary citizens are forced to make use of a system where on-call medication and care is a possibility,” concludes Marx.
