LAST month, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill was passed by the South African National Assembly. From there, the bill will be sent to the National Council of Provinces, and if also passed there it will be signed into law by the president. This process, however, may still take years to complete.
The provision of universal access to health care has long been envisioned not only by the Constitution, which states in Section 27 that everyone has the right to access to health care but also by the National Health Act of 2003. In its preamble, it declares the aim of the act as providing a framework for a structured, uniform health system within the Republic. The NHI Bill is the manifestation of this statement.
The bill aims to ensure that all South Africans have access to quality health-care services and to provide for the
