IN SOUTH Africa, we have two opposing forces, the NHI (National Health Insurance Fund) initiative and private health care, with Discovery Health Group as the flag bearer for private health care. In this article, we take a closer look at some disturbing early warning lights.
The NHI bill aims to establish universal health care for all South Africans by abolishing the “two-tier” system, in which the bulk of health-care spending is made in the private sector for the benefit of the few, while the mass of the population is relegated to the under-funded public sector.
The NHI Fund would be managed by the State to buy health-care services from the public and private sectors. Services would be free to the public at
