The civil rights organisation AfriForum today launched a comprehensive campaign against the Bill on National Health Insurance (NHI). The campaign will include activist actions, the recruitment of media pressure and the collection of public commentary.
AfriForum fervently opposes the NHI, because in effect it will lead to the state nationalising the entire health system and limiting the freedom of consumers and doctors.
“Although the bill doesn’t expressly do away with the private health sector, the compulsory tax contributions will probably give rise to the middle class not being able to afford medical aid contributions. The NHI will in effect destroy medical aids, the private health sector and world-class healthcare, while everyone will have to depend on state hospitals,” says Dr Eugene Brink, Strategic Advisor for Community Affairs at AfriForum.
According to Brink, the NHI will bring about the middle class fleeing from the country, while the price control on fees and medication will hamper medical innovation and also possibly result in medical practitioners emigrating.
“This means that there will be even less tax payers to keep this unworkable scheme afloat, which will cause the cost to increase exponentially.”
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, published the NHI Bill in the Government Gazette at the end of June this year. The public has 90 days from the date of publication to comment thereon. AfriForum encourages the public to give their input at http://bit.ly/2Kzi7Id to object against the destructive effect that the implementation of the NHI will have.