Scheme envisaged to provide universal care
Residents in the city and surrounds were afforded an opportunity to give oral and written input on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill during a public hearing conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health at Jack Botes Hall on Monday evening. The committee was in the province from Friday until Monday to allow residents …
Residents in the city and surrounds were afforded an opportunity to give oral and written input on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill during a public hearing conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health at Jack Botes Hall on Monday evening.
The committee was in the province from Friday until Monday to allow residents to express their views on the Bill before the closing date for input submissions set for 29 November. Attendees expressed hope that the NHI would address the existing gap between the rich and poor people. They further urged the committee to ensure that management of the NHI Fund be tightened to safeguard it from fraud and corruption. They called upon the committee to ensure that strong measures be put in place to make the NHI inaccessible to undocumented foreign nationals as it was claimed that illegal immigrants are already sucking public funds dry as they get services in state health facilities for free.
Committee Chairperson Sibongiseni Dhlomo said “The NHI is a financing system that will ensure that all South African citizens 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. It is the responsibility of the committee to collect citizens’ input and oral submissions so that they can be deliberated in Parliament for the bill to become law. The NHI Bill seeks to give citizens financial protection for them to acquire universal healthcare at no cost.”
The first public hearing was hosted in Makwarela town hall in Vhembe on Friday while the second leg was convened at Lenyenye community hall in Mopani on Saturday with the third edition at Mabotha civic centre in Sekhukhune the following day and the last one at Jack Botes Hall on Monday. The committee informed attendees that it would consider all the submissions about the bill once the process of public hearings has been concluded in all nine provinces.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
