JOHANNESBURG – Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says that government is serious about rolling out the National Health Insurance (NHI) across the country in the next five years.
Speaking at the ANC’s election manifesto briefing on Sunday, Motsoaledi said that President Cyril Ramaphosa was now in charge of the project which aims to provide equal health care for all South Africans.
The minister said the public healthcare system in the country was heavily constrained and needed a complete overhaul.
Motsoaledi said that the government had established a war room to finalize the bill in order to pass the NHI.
“Because how do we continue to run a health system where 4.5% of the GDP goes to only serve 16% of the population? And the remaining 4.2% of the GDP goes to serve a whopping 84% of the population.”
He said the NHI would be a reality in the next administration.
“We believe that some of the things are self-made with our structural problems because we ask ourselves the first thing that we are going to do in five years is NHI, which many of you are trying to fight against.”
Motsoaledi said the NHI will ensure that all South Africans have access to quality healthcare despite their financial situation.
